One of the most talked-about points coming out of Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys was the playcalling of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and a nonexistent running game.
The Eagles’ offense did not make adjustments, became conservative, and they only ran the ball 11 times with their running backs for 30 yards (Saquon Barkley – 10 carries, Tank Bigsby – 1).
Philadelphia’s ground attack has been a major disappointment this season, as they’re averaging a lackluster 110.5 yards per game (21st in the NFL). This is a far cry from what the team did last year in the regular season (179.3), as star running back Saquon Barkley shredded opposing defenses to the tune of 2,005 yards and 13 TDs with a 5.8 YPC.
However, Barkley has struggled to replicate that historic performance, averaging only 3.7 YPC this season. The star playmaker doesn’t look to have the same burst as last season, which is alarming. But the offensive line play has also been a factor, along with Patullo's playcalling.
With that being said, Patullo might need to make a rash decision in Week 13 to keep his job and actually consider giving Tank Bigsby more carries.
Tank Bigsby Could Be Answer to Eagles’ Lackluster Ground Attack
The idea doesn’t sound far-fetched, considering Eagles fans on Sunday were wondering why the young running back didn’t get more carries, especially after his first and only attempt went for eight yards.
After struggling on special teams in the early part of his Eagles’ tenure, Philly decided to get Bigsby some work on the ground starting in Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings (one carry for 11 yards on four offensive snaps). And then the Eagles gave Bigsby a larger workload in the next game against the New York Giants, which was his best game thus far.
The former Jacksonville Jaguar had 104 yards on nine carries (16 offensive snaps), which caught the attention of many Eagles’ fans. Bigsby showed the burst and acceleration he's known for, which the running game has been missing.
Sadly, since that 104-yard outing, he’s only mustered 49 yards on eight carries in the last three games (19 offensive snaps), which is coaching malpractice. This season, Bigsby is averaging 5.10 yards after contact per carry, which is higher than Barkley’s (2.00), per StatRankings.com.
Now, Barkley has the edge in explosive runs with 16, but Bigsby is not too far behind with 9. If you’re Patullo, you can’t sit on your hands and not give Bigsby's carries. The proof is there that every time he touches the ball, he makes positive gains.
And Friday’s game against a Bears’ defense that’s allowing 138.1 yards per game (fifth-most in the NFL) is the perfect spot to unleash Bigsby.
If Bigsby can bring some juice to the running game and perform as he did vs. New York, then Patullo will look like a genius, and it could keep fans off his back.
However, if it doesn’t work and Barkley isn’t getting his maximum amount of touches, then the offensive coordinator will be back on the hot seat. With how things have gone with this Eagles’ offense, Patullo is putting this team in a tough spot.
But he has a chance to possibly change the narrative about himself with a small adjustment that could pay dividends for the ground game, but also open up the passing game more.