Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo might be the most unpopular man in the City of Brotherly Love this season. Philadelphia's abysmal 261.6 total yards per game (30th) and 4.4 yards per play (29th) highlight just how stagnant the offense has become in Patullo's first season with OC duties, leaving fans to wonder if he's the right man to guide the Eagles' attack.
The Eagles' offensive struggles got to the point where Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, and A.J. Brown held a players-only meeting over the weekend to help get things back on track. Although Patullo's exclusion had the fan base questioning if Philly's stars lost faith in their coordinator, his quarterback proved that he still has his back.
"It's just us talking about the collective, taking ownership for what we can, and how we move forward," Hurts said about the players-only meeting (h/t @PHLEaglesNation). "Just teammates being teammates."
Jalen Hurts Still Refuses to Throw Kevin Patullo Under the Bus
Eagles fans wouldn't blame Hurts if he dumped the blame on Patullo. The 44-year-old OC's playcalling has left plenty to be desired in the season's early weeks, and it would've been easy for the veteran signal-caller to complain about what he's been given to work with.
Instead, Hurts took the heat off Patullo by keeping the focus on what the players can do better. Pointing the finger at the long-time assistant would've sent even more angry Eagles fans in Patullo's direction, making it clear that Hurts' response was designed to limit any potential drama.
Tuesday's response isn't the first time that Hurts has protected Patullo, though. Following Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos, the Eagles QB blamed the team's "lack of execution" for the offensive dip, rather than bring up Patullo's play-calling success (or the lack thereof, in this case). Even if Hurts isn't willing to bite the hand that feeds him, one has to wonder how long Patullo can hide from the spotlight.
After all, Hurts may have tipped his hand that he's losing faith in Patullo, even if he didn't admit it out loud. The reigning Super Bowl MVP admitted on Tuesday that he's been in contact with legendary college coach Nick Saban (h/t @EJSmith94) — who coached Hurts at the University of Alabama — about how the Eagles can improve in the fourth quarter, which is when their offense has typically disappeared this season.
Entering Week 6, only the Los Angeles Chargers are averaging fewer fourth-quarter points (3.4) than the Eagles (4.0). At the same time, Hurts' contact with Saban about his current team's issues potentially indicates that Philadelphia's leading man is losing faith in the coaching staff's ability to solve this issue.
Hurts can stick up for Patullo all he wants, but eventually, something has to change if the same issues persist. It'll be up to the Eagles OC to instill faith back into the offensive unit this week, hopefully, not giving Hurts, Barkley, and Brown any other reasons to hold a meeting.