Eagles' Offense Searches For An Identity While Stacking Wins

PHILADELPHIA — Somehow, the Eagles keep winning, even though the offense has shown up only in brief spurts.

Philadelphia improved to 4-0 on the young season in Tampa Bay on Sunday, one of only two unbeatens left in the NFL. However, a 21-point lead late in the second quarter nearly evaporated thanks to a second half without a pass completion in what could best be described as a 31-25 escape.

Limping to the finish line was followed by clear frustration from second-team All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown, renewing questions over what exactly is going on with an offense spearheaded by head coach Nick Sirianni, first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, and quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Brown’s production against the Buccaneers was an inconsequential two catches for seven yards on nine targets.

Great Relationship

Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) runs the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

“A.J. and I have a great relationship,” Patullo said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “I know where his heart is. He wants to win. ... He feels like he can do everything and anything to help us at all times. So as far as I’m concerned, him and I are in a good spot.”

Sirianni framed the situation with Brown similarly on Monday, and a team source framed any frustration coming from Brown as being more focused on the style of play and the failure to seize opportunities when they do arise, rather than individual players or coaches.

Brown has also spoken highly of Patullo to Eagles On SI in recent weeks.

Much of the criticism outside the building is directed at Patullo being too predictable, the same kind of barbs listed as his predecessors during the Sirianni era.

"I think at times, if you look through the first four games, [Brown's been doing some different stuff. Sometimes we've talked about it before, sometimes the ball finds him, and sometimes it doesn't," said Patullo. "So going into every game, you plan on making sure he's the primary [option] and moving around and doing stuff for him. If it doesn't go his way, that means usually we're on rhythm, or something good's happening, and Jalen is reading it out, it's going to other guys, and that can happen.

"I think when you go into it, you just want to make sure, ‘Hey, he's the guy, we're going through him’ and if it happens, it happens and you just don't want to really force it."

That also tracks with Sirianni's mindset since Brown arrived in 2022 with the passing offense running through Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert in that order.

But, nothing "good" was happening in the final 30 minutes at Tampa.

"We couldn't get out of first down, and obviously that starts with us as staff, to try to make sure we're more productive on first down and just kind of go from there," Patullo said. "I wouldn't say it was anything that they did to us necessarily. That was totally different or out of line with what [Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach] Todd [Bowles] likes to do.

"We just got caught in situations where he could start to do the things that he likes to do, and in the first half, we were able to not really encounter that we were on the attack. We got in a good mood to where we were just moving the ball in a good flow."

Last season, the Eagles had many games in which they struggled with the passing game, but could always lean on what was a historic rushing attack. This time around, things have been muddy on the ground, leaving the defense and opportunistic special teams units to do the heavy lifting while the 2025 offense continues searching for an identity.

"I think similar to last year, early in seasons, you're trying to figure it out," Patullo said. "First, you're trying to do what you have to do to win the game. ... So, I think you're trying to do everything you can independently within those game plans to win the game. When you're doing that, you're trying to feel your way through it. Okay, last week it was this, this week it was that. So, I think we're starting to feel some things that we have going that's kind of flowed through a few games now."

Patullo sees light at the end of the tunnel.

"I think there's some things we've learned that, okay, this is a little different than last year, or we're kind of continuing on this path, so let's push this a little bit," the OC said. "But I think you just got to look at each game independently, and then you start to see patterns as you start to build throughout the season. It’s great that it's happening now and not later. We were playing these tough defenses now to kind of figure this out as we go."

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