Perspective on Kevin Patullo’s inconsistent offense, Black Friday prediction: 8 Eagles Thoughts – The Athletic
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PHILADELPHIA — It’s an atypical Thanksgiving week for the Philadelphia Eagles.
There were pies brought home from the cafeteria and plans made for Thursday afternoon, but with a Black Friday game against the Chicago Bears on the schedule, the festivities are not the same as they would be in a different year.
However, it’s a chance for a quick turnaround after the Eagles’ collapse in Dallas on Sunday. With that in mind, let’s move quickly to this week’s Eight Eagles Thoughts:
1. The biggest story for the Eagles this week has been their underperforming offense, which went quiet for the final seven drives against the Dallas Cowboys and has been the least-productive and least-efficient offense during Nick Sirianni’s five years as coach. Sirianni offered support for offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and is not making a change at play caller.
Some of the criticism is the byproduct of seeking a face for the offense’s issues, but the overall body of work this season still leaves much to be desired. The clearest sign of the offense’s problem is the highest three-and-punt rate in the NFL. The in-house explanation points to penalties that took productive plays off the board and/or placed the Eagles in uncompromising situations.
“It’s been something that’s appeared, we know it’s there, and we just got to get rid of it,” Patullo said.
If penalties were the only problem, it would be easier to remedy. The offensive line has regressed from its previous top-of-the-league form. Saquon Barkley is in a self-described “funk.” The passing game lacks the creativity that other offenses display each week. Philadelphia scores 62 percent of its points in the first half of games, and it’s either not making necessary adjustments or defenses are adjusting to it.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts said the Eagles “must settle (into) an identity” and “commit to it.” It might not need to look the same way each week, but “it must be something that everybody’s in alignment (with).” The Eagles have been outstanding in the red zone and in protecting the football. They haven’t been consistent with much else.
There are two questions I keep coming back to with Patullo:
- Is the offense improving?
- Is Patullo giving the offense a schematic advantage?
So far, the answers to those questions are not encouraging. It was interesting listening to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio describe Ben Johnson and the Bears: “It’s a great scheme. They do a great job calling the game, mixing it up, marrying their run game and their pass game. They’re highly ranked in a lot of areas, and I don’t think it’s any accident. They’ve got really good players, and it’s a great scheme and a great play caller.”
It would be hard to offer those platitudes with sincerity about the Eagles’ scheme this season.
Patullo has a chance to quiet (or at least calm) criticism against the Bears’ defense, which ranks No. 23 in EPA/play and No. 27 in scoring defense. A similar sentiment was shared last week against Dallas. For the first three drives, it appeared Patullo would enjoy Thanksgiving without scrutiny. Then the next seven drives happened.
If the offense cannot find a rhythm on Friday, the calls for a change might grow louder. A change also might be unrealistic.
Where would the Eagles turn? Calling for an in-season change only makes sense if there’s an alternative. Tight ends coach Jason Michael was an offensive coordinator in 2014-2015 in Tennessee. Quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler was a play caller in college, but not in the NFL. Offensive assistant Parks Frazier had a brief stint calling plays in Indianapolis after Frank Reich was dismissed in 2022. The Eagles didn’t set up their staff with an experienced senior assistant like they did the defensive staff in 2023, when Sirianni stripped defensive coordinator Sean Desai of play-calling duties in December and Matt Patricia took over. (What must Desai think when Sirianni keeps uttering that he’s not interested in assigning blame?)
For an 8-3 team with realistic Super Bowl aspirations, there’s still time for the Eagles to find their stride. The passing game looked ugly last December before rebounding in time for the postseason. Better run blocking can allow the running game to generate explosive plays. The back stretch of the schedule includes mostly bottom-of-the-league defenses. But the Eagles need more from Patullo as a play-caller if improvement is to be expected.
2. The biggest good news from the Eagles’ return to practice this week was that the secondary might not require as much shuffling as anticipated. Adoree’ Jackson does not have a concussion, as initially feared — he did not return to Sunday’s game for precautionary reasons — and he’s been cleared to play Friday. Had Jackson been in the concussion protocol, the Eagles would have had two new starting defensive backs on a short week against an offense that can put a strain on a secondary. Drew Mukuba is sidelined with a fractured ankle.
With Jackson and Quinyon Mitchell at cornerback, the Eagles only need to replace Mukuba at safety. It appears Sydney Brown will be the top option. Brown, a 2023 third-round pick, could not beat Mukuba for the starting spot in camp this summer. He played a rotational role earlier this season before Mukuba became the full-time starter. Brown said he’s ready. This will be his best chance all year.
“I think he’s been doing a good job in practice with the reps that he does get,” Fangio said. “He’s done a good job staying in tune in the meetings and the walkthroughs, and I’m excited to see how he does.”
Brown might not have a strong grip on the job. Fangio has been intrigued by Cooper DeJean at safety going since the spring. If the Eagles are in search of their best combination of five players, they could move DeJean to safety and play Michael Carter II in the slot. The immediate plan addresses the Bears game. The Eagles are planning for two more months of games, so there could continue to be moving parts.
3. The uncertainty at safety arrives during a week when C.J. Gardner-Johnson returns to Philadelphia. The Gardner-Johnson trade was the most polarizing move the Eagles made during the offseason, considering he was a valuable starter on a Super Bowl-winning defense under contract and in the prime of his career. The Eagles tried to get ahead of a potential contract situation — and considering Gardner-Johnson has been on six teams in five seasons, it’s not a stretch to suggest that he’s worn out his welcome before — but it’s also clear that he’s a playmaking defensive back with an infectious competitive zeal. He joined the Bears midseason and contributed with difference-making plays, including three sacks and a forced fumble.
“I love C.J. We’ve had some great times together,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “I always loved the emotion that he played with and how he went about his business. So, yeah, I miss him. He’s playing good football.”
Gardner-Johnson’s emotions were evident after he returned to New Orleans last season for the first time with the Eagles, so pay attention to potential extracurriculars against his former team. If Gardner-Johnson is a factor while the Eagles face uncertainty at safety, it will prompt reminders about the Eagles’ decision to move him.
4. On the topic of safety, Malcolm Jenkins is entering the Eagles Hall of Fame on Friday. He’s the first member of the Eagles’ first Super Bowl team to earn a spot. Jenkins was one of the best players in recent franchise history and an outstanding leader. (More on this after Jenkins is honored on Friday.)
Humbled by the journey.
Wearing the lessons.
Excited for what’s next.
11.28.25 @Eagles pic.twitter.com/yKo30v4mPM
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) November 12, 2025
His durability was also rare. He never missed a game. He barely missed a snap. In fact, he had a hard time remembering when he missed a practice. (I went deep on those habits here.) Jenkins is a worthy franchise icon based on the way he played. They could still use a player like Jenkins! But if the current team can take anything from him when he’s immortalized by the franchise, it’s the way he did his job that should resonate.
5. The Eagles need to rectify their penalty problem. It had not burned them often this season, but it did on Sunday. Fourteen penalties were the most since the first game of the Sirianni era. Sirianni called the penalties “uncharacteristic.”
Maybe for last year’s team. Not this year.
The Eagles rank No. 27 in penalties. They’ve had six games with eight-plus penalties this season. Last year, they had four in 17 games. This would seem like the easiest part to fix — especially pre-snap and procedural penalties. The Eagles talk about “mastering the things that take no talent.” It’s just a catchphrase unless it’s applied.
“You first have to look at yourself in the mirror, ‘How can we fix it?’” Sirianni said. “We have some ideas on how to fix it as coaches, and then how the players fix it as players. That’s always on our mind. … I don’t think it’s possible to amp it up anymore because already pretty amped up.”
6. Looking for a fix for the run game? The offensive line must play better, and Barkley needs more explosive runs. But another tool could be using Jalen Hurts as a runner.
The Eagles cut back on the designed runs for Hurts this season. (Hurts is averaging 7.3 attempts, which is his fewest since becoming a starter.) The Eagles are 8-3, so it has made sense to preserve him, but unleashing Hurts as a runner would change the shape of defenses and help open the running game for Barkley. That was a part of All-Pro’s success last season. Perhaps the Eagles are waiting for the playoffs, but why not do it now? If nothing else, it changes the math for the defense and could give the Eagles momentum entering December.
7. Xavier Gipson’s costly fumble in the fourth quarter also came at another cost. Gipson injured his shoulder on the play and has not practiced this week. That means the Eagles would require a new punt returner and kick returner. The Eagles took swift action on Wednesday by signing Britain Covey to the 53-man roster and placing Mukuba on injured reserve. Covey, 28, was the Eagles’ top punt returner in 2022 and 2023 before an injury cut short his 2025 campaign. He signed with the Rams during the offseason, did not make the 53-man roster, and has since been on the Eagles’ practice squad. This was a good move for the Eagles — Covey was dependable and productive, even leading the NFL in 2023 with 417 punt return yards. He was the only player in the NFL with two returns of 50-plus yards.
“You’re very fortunate when you have a guy that you know that nature to have on your practice squad, just in case this does happen,” special teams coordinator Michael Clay said.
Covey can also return kicks, although the Eagles have continued developing Tank Bigsby in that role after ceding those responsibilities in Week 7.
By signing Covey to the 53-man roster, the Eagles have roster flexibility for practice squad elevations for the secondary.
8. There will be no weekend notes because of the Friday game, so let’s get to the prediction here. You wouldn’t know it based on the collective Philadelphia angst following the loss to the Cowboys, but the Eagles are still considered a premier team in the NFL. Want evidence? They’re seven-point favorites against a team with the same record (8-3) that has won seven of eight games. The Eagles should respond with a strong offensive showing against a depleted Bears defense that is turnover-dependent. The Eagles have the fewest turnovers in the NFL. The Bears are No. 1 in forcing turnovers. As long as the Eagles take care of the ball, they should be able to score points on the Bears. Chicago allows 5.2 yards per carry and an explosive run on 9.9 percent of the carries. Sounds like a chance for Barkley to break out of his funk in front of a national audience. My guess is this looks similar to the Bears-Ravens game from last month. The Eagles advance to 9-3, and Philadelphia can enjoy a sense of relief on Thanksgiving weekend while digesting feasts and searching for deals. Eagles 30, Bears 21
