Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has faced intense backlash from fans this week. Moorestown police confirmed that his New Jersey home was egged following the team’s loss to Chicago, and a “Fire Kevin Patullo” sign appeared on Pattison Avenue.
Amid the growing criticism of Patullo, PSN would like to remind fans one simple fact: Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is the builder of the scheme, the architect; everything about the offense starts with him. It also ends with him; he has the final say. He has authored the playbook with input from others and defines what the offense is supposed to be.
The structure, the philosophy, the DNA, if you will, of the offense is all his. The OC, Kevin Patullo, is running his system, not the other way around. Even if Sirianni never calls a play, what you are watching is his product.
Sirianni is the author of the terminology, the run game (with much input from Jeff Stoutland), the pass game, the protections, essentially the entire menu of plays. He makes sure that what he wants the offense to be is being taught by the coaches. The game plan and what he wants to install week to week is his, too.
Since the scheme is his, every assistant and coach works under his guidance. Sirianni guides the OC, the QB coach, the OL/run game coordinator, the positional coaches, all of it. If a coach, like, say, Kevin Patullo, wants to add a design or concept, Sirianni is the final editor of what is released.
Typically, an OC handles the fine details of the coach's framework. He plans how the offense will attack opposing defenses each week. The red zone, situational football during the game, and a list of their “must-have” calls.
Sirianni can override a call at any time, but typically isn’t sequencing calls; he handles much of the game flow for fourth-down decisions, challenges, time-outs, and maybe even some critical third downs. Think of it as the HC is the macro and the OC is the micro.
When personnel usage or game sequencing is off, it is the HC's responsibility to fix it. He is ultimately responsible for the long-term evolution and success of the offense. The head coach is the director of the offense's growth.
Patullo’s job is to bring Sirianni’s vision to life on a week-to-week, call-by-call basis. He typically sequences plays, controls tempo, and makes changes on the fly based on what the opposing defense is showing. He is “executing” the offensive plays. The players on the field have to execute what he is calling.
An OC usually runs offensive meetings and teaches the weekly plays that are being installed. He works with the coaches and the QB to ensure they all understand the week's game plan. He is supposed to put the offensive philosophy into practice.
The OC usually handles the tactical shifts, whereas a head coach handles the strategic ones during the game.
How a team mixes personnel in 11, 12, or 21 personnel, how formations tie into the call sheet, and how the offense uses its matchups are usually the OC’s responsibility, with the HC providing broad direction. The OC deploys it.
The HC is an architect, and the OC is the operator.
The head coach designs the system, identity, and structure, and oversees everything. He owns the final results and manages a game.
The offensive coordinator calls plays, installs plays, builds a call sheet, makes drive-to-drive decisions, and executes the HC architect.
As to who is more culpable for failure, it will always land on the head coach, but playcalling, personnel, and players executing on the field all contribute.
As always, thank you for reading!
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