The Philadelphia Eagles are breaking new ground in the 2025 NFL season, as it has been some time since an 8-3 team that will likely coast to a division title has entered the final stages of the 2025 season with so much clear frustration and animosity between the offense and coaching staff.
AJ Brown's constant problems with offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo have hung over this season despite the victories, but the running game from an almost unstoppable piece of the offense under Kellen Moore to a unit that can't even be productive with an All-Pro running back.
Saquon Barkley has regressed from someone who was a 2,000-yard rusher to an inefficient plodder, and trade acquisition Tank Bigsby has not had near the impact many optimistic fans would have hoped.
Offensive tackle Fred Johnson said that he has "no idea" why the running game isn't working, adding that he is "not a coach" and figuring out the reason for these struggles on the ground. When paired with how Brown has been critiquing the passing game, Patullo can't do anything right currently.
Eagles OT Fred Johnson deflects when asked about poor running game
Barkley had just 22 yards rushing on 10 carries against Dallas, as Philly's inability to break through against a Quinnen Williams-led defensive line led to Nick Sirianni leaning exclusively on Jalen Hurts' arm. As has been shown, that proved to be a big mistake.
Patullo's offense ranks 25th in success rate, meaning they are producing a positive play at the same rate as a two-win New York Jets team led by the recently benched Justin Fields for most of the season. The Eagles have a whopping three scoreless halves this season, and only the one-win Tennessee Titans have more with four.
Between a reliance on operating from shotgun, an inability to replace a player in Mekhi Becton that graded out as a high-end run blocker at right guard, and the limited passing offenses forcing teams to key in on the running game, the Eagles clearly don't have the schematic excellence needed to get the most out of Hurts, Barkley, and Brown together.
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Patullo has become such a reviled name in Philadelphia that every game makes it less likely he is retained for the 2026 season, but Sirianni's firm stance that he will not fire Patullo in the middle of the season means fans will just have to suck it up for a bit.