Kellen Moore Admits Leaning On Two Top Eagles' Assistants

PHILADELPHIA -- The offseason will have to move quickly for the Eagles after finishing off the 2024-25 campaign at the top of the mountain with the Lombardi Trophy.

The idea of continuity around quarterback Jalen Hurts has been a narrative in Philadelphia for years and it’s at the forefront again after one-and-done offensive coordinator and play-caller Kellen Moore was hired as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

Moore finished a whirlwind week in which he won the Super Bowl after practicing all week at the Saints facility in Metairie, LA, jetted back to Philadelphia after routing the Chiefs, only to return to NOLA to hammer out his deal with the Saints before another 180 to be at the Eagles’ championship parade on Valentine’s Day.

Moore’s frequent-flyer trips between Philly and the Big Easy ended on Saturday when he arrived back and started to settle into his new job by interviewing Minnesota defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones to be the Saints defensive coordinator.

On Sunday, he was interviewing his long-time right-hand man and current Eagles’ quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier to be the Saints OC, and his former boss with the Los Angeles Chargers, Brandon Staley, to be the DC.

Buried in all that was a discussion with Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer in which Moore offered up a tacit endorsement for Eagles associate head coach and passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo, the man perceived as the frontrunner to take over as OC for Moore in Philadelphia.

Moore and Patullo grew to be very close in a short time during their one season together and the Saints coach admitted he leaned on Patullo, along with offensive line coach and run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland, to gain a foothold in Philadelphia

“The first few weeks in Philadelphia, I was really mostly a listener,” Moore told Breer. “Letting Stout [Jeff Stoutland] explain where the run game was at, Kevin Patullo explain where the passing game is at, showing those cut-ups and starting with the intent of keeping what is in place that we feel really good about.”

Moore tried to expand off of that.

“And then I’d interject with different opportunities or concepts that I feel may benefit us in the future,” the new Saints coach said. ““You had to be a really good listener, you learned how to embrace something that maybe you’re not as familiar with. We ask all players to go through that.

“Us coaches need to do it sometimes too.”

Ultimately the evolution stalled and the Eagles scaled back during a Week 5 bye leaning on Saquon Barkley and the best offensive line in football.

“I feel like we found our identity,” Moore said. “Our style gave us a very clear identity. We’re going to run the football. We’re going to play really good situational football. And we’re gonna protect the football.

“That was three of the biggest things. We ran the football really well, which led to some great pass-game opportunities. Situational football, I felt like we really took a special level there moving forward. I thought that was one of our secret sauces, just playing every situation really well, our guys being on it. And we protected the football.

“We did an excellent job after that.”

Sounds like the continuity needs to come from inside the house.

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