No coach in NFL history may have been more criticized after a 4-1 start than Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. While some may argue that some of the criticism is not deserved after only five weeks, as the famous line from Unforgiven goes, "deserve's got nothing to do with it." The Eagles have a Super Bowl win to repeat, and the offense, as it's currently constructed under Patulo, is not going to cut it.
For his part, Patullo hasn't been helping his case. In his latest remarks, Patullo suggested that things aren't as bad as they may seem, and in fact, when the Eagles have done what they needed to do, they have been "moving the ball extremely well at a high rate". Contrast that with the latest presser by Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and the difference is night and day.
Brian Schottenheimer Makes Kevin Patullo's Philosophy Look Even Worse
Schottenheimer discussed his offensive play-calling philosophy on Wednesday, saying, "I don’t really call plays to try to get a ball to a spot on the field. I call plays to get balls to people. … You’re always going to feature your ‘elite players.’ We have a lot of elite players," per The Athletic's Jon Machota. The first-time head coach went on to praise Dak Prescott for getting the ball to the "first open guy".
Similar to the Eagles, the Cowboys have a ton of high-level playmakers. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens resemble the one-two punch of DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown. Prescott may not have the postseason success of Hurts, but he is a proven quarterback and an elite regular-season performer. Schottenheimer seems to understand the personnel he has at his disposal. He knows which of his players can make big, explosive plays and help the offense move the ball.
Patullo, on the other hand, has consistently been struggling to get the ball in the hands of his best players. Lamb and Pickens average 13.9 yards and 15.5 yards per reception, respectively, and each put up over 70 receiving yards per game this season. Brown and Smith, in contrast, average 10.2 and 10.9 yards per reception, and 38.8 yards and 54.4 yards per game, respectively. Saquon Barkley, who had 23.7 touches per game, is down to 20.0 touches under Patullo.
It seems like Patullo is pushing every button on the controller right now. In Week 5, he force-fed targets to Brown and Smith early, trying to get the passing game going. This ended up completely abandoning the run game, and Barkley finished the game with only six carries. This suggests a lack of understanding of how to put your best players in positions to succeed. Even the Cowboys, who have been the butt of jokes for Eagles fans for a while now, seem to have a better understanding of this.