The aftershocks of the Philadelphia Eagles' disastrous second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still being felt. Considering how bad that offensive display was, it will likely continue having a major impact on the team going forward. It's obvious that offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and head coach Nick Sirianni have to ignore the 4-0 start and need to find a solution right away.
So far, it doesn't sound like Patullo is anywhere near finding a solution. In fact, his remarks on Tuesday, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane, suggests the opposite. When asked about the team's offensive identity, the first-time offensive coordinator responded, "facing good teams with tough defenses and how [they] have looked at them individually and doing what's necessary to win them". McLane read between the lines and said that this means the Eagles "haven't yet established one."
Kevin Patullo's Offense Has a Play-Calling Problem
To be fair to Patullo, the Eagles have played against some tough defenses in the last three weeks. The way they have found a way to win each game, albeit very closely, is worth something. At the same time, every Eagles win has been within a single possession, and the team has yet to put together two consecutive halves of solid offensive production.
Against the Rams, it was the first half that the Eagles couldn't get anything going, finishing with 33 total yards. In Week 4, it was the second half when they had -1 yards of offense. Even if we don't account for Braden Mann's 34-yard rushing loss for the intentional safety, that is a disastrous performance.
Considering that this is pretty much the same core group that was one of the most dynamic offenses in the league under Kellen Moore, the only problem can't be the identity. Patullo has been with the team since 2021, and there haven't been dramatic changes in the offensive personnel or the coaching staff of this team. Yet, every playmaker on the team, maybe except for Dallas Goedert, has been less effective than last year. A season ago, this offense was averaging 367 yards per game and 5.6 yards per play. Now, those numbers have fallen to 252 and 4.2, respectively.
The play-calling and lack of adjustments have been obvious issues. More variance in play-calling, as emphasized by Jordan Mailata after Week 4, is desperately needed. When the Bucs defense adjusted and blitzed far less in the second half on Sunday, Patullo and the Eagles also should have made adjustments.
Yet, it seems like the Eagles' coaching staff has yet to identify the problem. Unless they do so, Eagles fans may have to endure a few more frustrating offensive halves.