The Philadelphia Eagles have been desperately trying to fix their offense since another disparaging loss in Week 6. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has been under fire, and players and coaches have been discussing publicly what has been ailing this once-potent offense.
Last week, star right tackle Lane Johnson said that there was a predictability problem with the offense, with opposing defenses knowing "when the pass is coming and when the run is coming," adding that they have to do a better job of that and make "adjustments on the sidelines." It turns out not everyone is on the same page as Johnson. In fact, his fellow starter on the offensive line, Jordan Mailata, disagreed completely.
"I don't think we're predictable. I just think we're not executing," Mailata said, according to The Athletic's Zach Berman. "That is the major part of the game right now. We're just putting ourselves in predictable situations, meaning we're getting behind the sticks and we have to throw."
Mailata then added that the problem has been more about their focus, and a more important thing is for everyone to "do their jobs," including himself.
Jordan Mailata Completely Disagrees with Lane Johnson on Eagles' Issues
This is a fascinating statement by a stud who has once again been one of the best players for the Eagles all season. Instead of pointing fingers and assigning blame, Mailata is looking inward to get better. It could also be interpreted as a way for the 28-year-old vet to put his teammates on notice rather than focusing too much on the coaching staff.
While that could be seen as good leadership by Mailata, it doesn't necessarily solve the root of the problem. Two things can be true at once: Patullo's play-calling has obviously been poor, and players aren't playing with the highest effort and intensity. Those two things can even be related. Offensive stars may have lost their trust in the play-calling and may not be putting their best foot forward.
Mailata's accountability should serve as an example for the rest of the team. "Control what you can control" is a cliche all football players love, but not everyone embodies. Mailata's approach hopefully spreads around to some of his teammates who haven't been looking as inward as the star left tackle.
Healthy disagreement is completely fine and encouraged. Johnson and Mailata not being on the same page about the team's problems isn't necessarily a problem, as long as they are focused on the same goal. Let's hope that they are, and the Eagles put these issues behind them sooner rather than later.