The Philadelphia Eagles” offense faced significant challenges during their recent game against the Detroit Lions, managing to score only nine points despite the defense”s five fourth down stops and an interception by Cooper DeJean. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo expressed his frustration regarding the team”s inability to minimize negative plays, which included five instances, alongside six penalties committed by the offense.
Patullo highlighted that when the offense is functioning smoothly, they perform well, but any setbacks such as penalties or negative plays can quickly put them at a disadvantage. “I think like everything, when you look at the situations we have sometimes, when we”re on track, we do a pretty good job,” he commented. “And if we get off track a little bit, whether it”s a negative play or a penalty, that puts us kind of in a hole.” He emphasized the need for the coaching staff to ensure they are making the right calls and maintaining high execution levels.
Despite the offensive struggles, Jalen Hurts received praise for his performance, with Patullo stating that the quarterback “played well” and managed the game effectively under difficult circumstances. The Eagles” red zone performance was concerning, as they converted just one of three opportunities, and their third down efficiency stood at a mere four of fifteen.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown saw his targets increase significantly, going from three against the Packers to eleven against the Lions, and he finished with seven receptions for 49 yards. However, Patullo refuted the idea that there was a deliberate effort to focus on Brown more in this game. “It was really no different,” he explained, noting that the game plan was consistent with previous weeks and the ball simply found Brown more often this time.
Brown made several crucial catches, including an important eleven-yard reception in the second quarter that led to the Eagles” only touchdown. However, there was an atypical miscommunication between Brown and Hurts on a deep ball in the third quarter, which Patullo attributed to Brown becoming entangled with a defender, limiting his ability to locate the ball effectively. “He got kind of tangled up with a DB,” Patullo said.
On the defensive front, the Eagles have been performing impressively, but one key player, Nolan Smith, has been limited in his snap counts since returning from injury. Smith played only 32.3% of the defensive snaps in the last two games, a drop from 75.9% in the initial weeks of the season. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio stated that the decision regarding Smith”s playing time was not made by him, suggesting that it may come from the coaching staff”s broader strategy.
Smith”s snap percentage increased slightly against the Lions, where he saw 37.5% of the defensive snaps but did not record any quarterback pressures, marking a rare occurrence for him this season. In his absence, the Eagles” edge rusher group has stepped up, notably with the addition of Jaelan Phillips, who has been leading in defensive snaps since joining the team.
Despite the team”s struggles on offense, Nakobe Dean has emerged as a solid contributor since returning from injury, recording ten tackles and two sacks over his last two games. Fangio expressed confidence in Dean”s impact, noting his strong instincts and football acumen. “I know he worked really hard in his rehab,” Fangio remarked, emphasizing Dean”s natural ability to grasp the game.
