When you view the Philadelphia Eagles offense after stripping away the noise from the fans and analysts, and by avoiding the weekly outrage cycle on social media, you are left with a stubborn truth. The issues on the offensive side of the ball are philosophical.
Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni seems committed to an approach that appears increasingly out of step with where the NFL has gone and is headed. Much of the league has leaned into motion to decipher information and present more challenges to opposing defenses. Many successful offenses are in a condensed formation to gain leverage and deploy stack and bunch formations to create separation.
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, their offense lives in a world where motion is only seen or heard when a ref calls “illegal motion” after one of many flags is thrown. What many hoped would be a modern offense with all of their offensive talent is more like a throwback to yesteryears. And it is by choice.
The route tree and concepts tell the story. Philadelphia has used hitch routes at a rate unseen in the Next Gen era. Some of the excess is Sirianni’s desire to build rhythm, but much of it is due to a “safety first” approach.
The result has been an offense that has not put stress on defenses, not enough horizontal routes, and play sequencing that does not lead or set up their next call. There is also not much misdirection to force defenders into a half-second hesitation, which makes all the difference in dictating terms.
This lack of built-in help has led to a predictable offense that forces the quarterback and offensive line to be perfect to succeed.
When Philadelphia had a healthy o-line executing well, they could lean on it when the passing game struggled. Some of their best stretches had come from gap-scheme concepts with 11- and 12-personnel formations. The o-linemen had clear angles, which allowed Saquon to get downhill quickly, often without being touched for a few yards.
Instead of building around those concepts, the Eagles have drifted into predictable inside-zone runs and what appear to be leftover RPO plays from Doug Pederson’s playbook 8 years ago. The Gap-scheme could be a weapon if it were treated as a foundation rather than a change of pace.
Many have said the Eagles' offense lacks an identity in 2025, but that is not true. They have an identity: to protect the ball. To a fault?
Picture the Eagles' passing game as a pyramid; at the top would be “ball security.” Not just via turnovers, but also by trying to eliminate sacks. This mindset bleeds into everything they do. It has dictated what they have installed in their offense and, more importantly, the play designs they will run.
I have been saying for 2 years that Jalen Hurts is a walking run-game cheat code. Whether he does not want to, or if the team is not calling it for other reasons, it is hurting their ability to run the football. No pun intended. Hurts doesn’t need 10 carries. He just needs enough designed runs, keepers, and read-option looks to influence linebackers and open lanes for Saquon Barkley. Without that threat, defenses sit on everything. With it, the old structure can come back to life.
Motion is also a pass-game cheat code, and they use it barely. When they do, it is typically a half-hearted effort that fools nobody. The windows for receivers do not open often because little is built into the offensive structure to force them to.
The irony, or the sad part for fans, is that the offense is built to punish defenses. They have the talent to manipulate, stress, and cause chaos for defenses. Philly boasts top-tier linemen, an all-time great running back, two number one receivers, a tight end in a contract year, and yes, a top-tier quarterback. This team has shown flashes of what they can do when they have leaned into their athletes and used concepts they may not be as comfortable calling.
In a league defined by misdirection, one that uses motion as a tool, not as an afterthought, modern offenses that weaponize playaction, and narrate drives, the Eagles seem stale and have continued to do things their way, with little change or additions to their concepts. Many have used the analogy that the Eagles' offense can be like a Ferrari, but it is as if it's playing with the parking brake on, unable to move quickly and eventually sputtering out.
Injuries or personnel shortages are not why the Eagles' offense has not reached its ceiling; rather, it is ideology and a resistance to change. The overarching philosophy is to play conservatively. They need to open it up as they did at times in 2024 and let the chips fall where they may. I believe the offense might surprise everyone once they do.
As always, thank you for reading!
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