The Next Steps for the Eagles Offense

The Positive Takeaways

One of the more alarming aspects of the Eagles offense early in the year was how many turnovers they were committing. Credit to Jalen Hurts, who has gone turnover-free in the last two games against great defensive lines. He’s been smarter in the pocket and while he still is not playing his best football, he’s been slowly improving and becoming more comfortable in the new offense.

The Eagles’ commitment to the run game will also continue to help them keep possession. When the Eagles went to the Super Bowl, they did so by playing off their dominant running attack. They seem to be starting to get back to that style by feeding Saquon Barkley and making sure defenses start crowding the line of scrimmage.

If they can continue to do these things, it will help create opportunities for deep shots to A.J. Brown, as it has in every game Brown has played this year. The Eagles are talented enough to win most of their games this year with this formula. However, this formula has its flaws, and there is still room for improvement for this Eagles offense.

The Improvements Needed

After six games, one thing is clear about the Eagles offense. They are solely dependent on creating big plays. Moreover, they constantly rely on either Barkley ripping off a long run or hitting a streak or deep fade route to Brown or Smith in the passing game. It is a good problem to have when you can consistently rip off big plays, but it cannot be your only plan of attack.

It has been rare to see the Eagles have a sustained drive down the field, instead it’s either they hit a chunk play or are punting after three to five plays. The ‘Jimmys and the Joes’ can only take a team so far until they run into another team equally as talented, or a coaching staff that can read everything the Eagles want to do.

There must be easier plays and throws other than a few comebacks and crossers. With the amount of stress that A.J. Brown puts on defenses, they do not use him as a decoy enough. With him on the field, teams are terrified of giving up a deep route, but there’s never any receiver following up in the space that Brown creates. This is just one example, but there are plenty of other ways the Eagles can start attacking the short and intermediate of the field.

The Eagles Offense is Encouraging but Not Perfect

Overall, fans should be optimistic about how the offense has looked in the last two weeks. They seem to be going in a positive direction and while it’s not perfect, it’s enough to win many of the games they will play this season. However, how they continue to adapt will ultimately decide the fate of the Eagles coaching staff and the team’s chances at a championship.

Main Image: Vincent Carchietta – USA Today Sports