15 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

OK I want to get something off my chest about this team, this offense, the coaches, and Hurts.

First of all, and this is an absolutely necessary disclaimer...we should all be very content. 2-0 against these two teams while combating a SB hangover and some not insignificant changes...bra-freaking-vo. It may not have been pretty, but it's highly commendable. So what follows is just an overdissection because that's the point of talking football on a blog.

I think we are venting our offensive frustrations in the wrong direction. Jalen Hurts is what he is now. He's no longer a variable in this offense. He's a constant. What he's not and never will be is a pure, good passer. What he is is a QB with an incredible W/L record and a SB MVP. What he is is a highly dynamic, clutch QB who finds ways to win, finds ways to grind out positive plays, has a clutch calm that infects his teammates in big spots, and an opportunistic passer. But I will reiterate, what he is not is a pure, good passer. The Eagles will NEVER be a good team on 3rd and 10+ that utilizes the traditional passing concepts you, I, or anyone else want to see beyond the sticks. That's not coaching, that's not because we have a new OC that is like Brian Johnson...that's because QB is not good at it.

An OC cannot unload a stereotypically elegant, aggressive gameplan with the passing concepts people have in mind with Hurts as the QB. It's not going to generate a good result. When Barkley runs for 200 yards, Hurts goes 5/5 on tush pushes with efficient passing, and the Eagles win in a blowout...no one second guesses it then.

Which brings me back to the variable. Hurts is the constant. Siri is a SB winning offense minded HC who has been here for years now, even if OC has been a revolving door. We've seen the offense look bad like this and run these same concepts before. I think the coaching changes are having far less effect than anyone is saying.

This team buttered their bread with the running game. Barkley is getting shut down at the LOS at a vastly higher rate than last year. The offensive line is not run blocking in the same universe that it was last year. To my eyes, that delta (OL run blocking 2025 vs 2024) is so much more profound than anything else on the team. Everyone is talking about Hurts, but it's the same Hurts as 2024. And I really don't think the offensive coaching has changed much either. Even for all the changes on defense, they are gradually moving in the direction of last year.

If we want to criticize parts of the team that aren't what they were last year and nitpick style points, I'd look past Hurts and all things defense and focus solely on OL run blocking. That is the unquestioned foundation and catalyst for everything this team tries to do...and it hasn't been good.

Good post. But hurts is not a constant right now. He has regressed. Be it due to the changes Patullo has instituted, or whatever.... he is not playing as well as he did last year. And the passing game is suffering from it. And the run game is suffering as well.

You are also right, Becton should have been retained, and that would have helped the run game as well.

In the end, the eagles will still have a lot of rushing yards because the OL and RB are still great. Passing game needs fixing. And a big problem is Hurts is not acting as a constant right now.

I used to be all over the QB...they had to be an all-pro or bust because the offense ran through them and you weren't winning a SB unless they were at that level.

The Eagles turned that formula upside down last year. Hurts was a huge part of that, but his passing was complementary, not central to what they did on offense. The new correlate to the all pro passing QB was sheer ground dominance.

Likewise, how I used to pick Hurts apart, the central engine of this team needs to be picked apart until it is elite. And right now I'm far more concerned about the play they are getting from both OGs (one due to injury) than I am about the playcalling or Hurts not throwing deep enough often enough.

1 hour ago, Waiting4Someday said:

I’m keeping my eye on PIT and TEN, and Darnell Washington and Chig Okonkwo.

With that D and Rodgers needing to put up 30+ each week, its going to get ugly fast. I'd take Washington and Jonnu Smith from them at the deadline.

33 minutes ago, Mike030270 said:

After seeing him play today I'm very curious on why he's been unsigned. Was the red flag just his age?

Seems he wanted more money than teams were willing to give. With the Eagles he also got less, but Howie upped the incentives.

4 minutes ago, eagle45 said:

If Barkley popped off a 70 yard TD run on one of the 3 and outs and another stalled drive was a TD because Barkley had 2-3 10 yard runs and the only necessary 3rd down conversions were tush pushes...how would the offense and playcalling look then? Because that's what was missing from this game that we saw on a weekly basis last year. That's the only difference, offensively, between weeks 1/2 this year and their trademark wins on the back stretch last year. If those things happened, this game and last would have been feel good laughers.

The running game isn't as dangerous. That's the difference.

I think part of the frustration comes from some people acting like Hurts is the greatest QB in the history of humanity, or for the less extreme types, as good as anyone in the league, despite clear and undeniable passing flaws that are obviously mitigated by the way that the team is designed. I'm pretty sure this would come up less if people would actually acknowledge what Hurts is, and is not, rather than acting like Hurts is their own child and defending him accordingly.

1 minute ago, Diehardfan said:

If I was one of those guys who likes to dig up old posts, Id quote the one from preseason when everyone was praising Patullo and I said it will not take long until Hurts is starting and everyone is bashing Patullo. Freakin prophetic. I wonder why I was the only one who could foresee it?

If McKee got to start with the rest of this offensive roster, in Patullo's system we saw in pre-season the offense would literally be averaging 50 points per game. We could have 3-4 WRs, Goedert, AND Barkley getting madden numbers. AND winning super bowls. We dont have to trade good QB play for super bowl wins. We CAN have both.

Just now, AmericanEagle77 said:

I think part of the frustration comes from some people acting like Hurts is the greatest QB in the history of humanity, or for the less extreme types, as good as anyone in the league, despite clear and undeniable passing flaws that are obviously mitigated by the way that the team is designed. I'm pretty sure this would come up less if people would actually acknowledge what Hurts is, and is not, rather than acting like Hurts is their own child and defending him accordingly.

No one acts like that. We do have to hear garbage about how Joe Burrow is superior when he is clearly not.

Hurts is on a HoF trajectory. (The SBs really help and he's already a 10/10 guy in the playoffs) That does not mean he is perfect or the ultimate passer.

I'm not sure he places top 10 in throw the ball at moving targets pro bowl games but that's not what NFL football is about.

He was an absolute all-time beast in both Super Bowls.

I'm not sure how good or bad he was in this game. Other people will all-22 and tell me if he missed open guys.

He was excellent last week and only fools crushed him.

People who judge him as a 19 TD a year QB are Eagle hating scumbags. The rushing TDs count and hes a 36 TD per 17 guy. That is great.

His yards are also fine when you combine both and realize the offense and the low 4th quarter passing numbers unless they need him, then he beats Josh Allen.

Tell me what the goal posts are and I will tell you how good he is.

Says here he is 42-10 in his last 52 regular starts and 6-3 in the playoffs with a SB MVP.

If we are arguing if he is more Montana/Bradshaw/(Aikman+awesome running) instead of Brees and Manning, its not an argument. He is.

He is so far better than Aikman that its laughable.

I'm never going to say he belongs ahead of Allen and Lamar based on regular season stats.

He is better than 2023-25 Mahomes and He is better than Burrow.

No one was ever better than 2018-2022 Mahomes but he's not that guy now. Why should Hurts have to live up to what a guy did 3 years ago when its 2025?

Goff? Herbert? Stafford? Insane asylum level madness putting those guys ahead of him.

If Herbert has an MVP type season and is better in this regular season than Hurts, I will say it. He was awesome in week 1 and I said it.

Davis is developing. Hopefully that hamstring doesn’t slow him down. But he is making it easier to overlook how well Williams is doing early in NE.

We have a roster spot open now, right? Probably Epps but I’d like to see a TE. Obviously a CB but I don’t think anyone is trading a starter yet

Falcons are good. Once they get their offense in sync, they’ll be a threat in the NFC.

Would be a tough out in the playoffs.

NFL: Listen guys, the taunting is out of control. If you make a play, don't you dare flex, or stand above a player.

Instead, do this. It's much less intrusive to the game.

39 minutes ago, we_gotta_believe said:

It's about as mundane as you can get but that is up there with one of the best catches of his career (from a level of difficulty perspective.)

Ironically, self-inflicted though. He fell on his own.

15 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

The anti-Huff.

Speaking of, he had a sack and five hurries today…

2 minutes ago, EaglePhan1986 said:

Falcons are good. Once they get their offense in sync, they’ll be a threat in the NFC.

Would be a tough out in the playoffs.

I am unconvinced

I expected Minny to be much better than this slop

19 minutes ago, Diehardfan said:

Who was it

17 minutes ago, Sack that QB said:

Hannah Einbinder. No idea who she is. She also said something else I don't approve of, so I left that out.

41 minutes ago, NOTW said:

On defense, something to keep in mind is last year they improved dramatically after the bye and starting Cooper. This year they have Campbell and Mukuba already playing well, Za'Darius in his first game making plays. They need to bench Adoree Jackson. They probably won't be the top defense again, but will be among the top defenses.