The Bird Gang might be scratching their heads after the two games this season. Jalen Hurts, their starting quarterback, has some strong stats but zero passing touchdowns. No QB in the league has thrown fewer airmail touchdowns than Hurts so far in 2025. He’s completing a strong 75.6% of his passes, yes, but the offense is still stuck at a minimal 7.4 yards per completion, dead last in the NFL. It’s a glaring dissonance for a team stacked with talent like Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith. The Eagles started 2-0, but only because they’ve found other ways to win. This includes holding onto the ball and grinding out red zone chances. The real question: can they keep this up as defenses adjust and the season grinds on?

Hurts’ plays are being called by a new offensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo. The offense feels stuck in safe mode, focusing more on quick rhythms and runs than explosive downfield shots. Meanwhile, opposing defenses have caught on, making the Eagles’ offense look predictable and static at times. This pacing might have worked to squeak out close wins, but it’s not the recipe for long-term success.

On the Ross Tucker Podcast, analyst Greg Cosell dived deep into explaining Hurts’ recent struggles. He pointed out, “They haven’t worked much down the field at all. They’ve run a lot. They’ve repeated a lot of plays. They’ve been somewhat repetitive. Some could say that’s predictable. When it works, it’s great. When it doesn’t, people say it’s predictable.” This lines up perfectly with the Eagles’ 2025 offensive output through two weeks: another NFL-low, 11 plays of 10-plus yards generated by the entire offense. And an offense leaning heavily on short, rhythm throws and runs. This repetitive play-calling has allowed defenses to key in, limiting explosive plays and forcing Hurts into quick decisions under pressure. Ultimately, contributing to the team’s struggle to consistently push the ball downfield.

Cosell also flagged troubling moments about Hurts’ passing strategy, “I thought there were four or five times where Jalen had his eyes in the wrong place based on how the coverage presented itself when he took the snap, and therefore just slowed down the processing.” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo decided to chase Hurts around with blitzes on 64% of dropbacks. But Hurts adapted by throwing quick passes to his nearby mates and limiting sacks to just three. Still, none of that hides the fact that this blitz-heavy electricity has pushed him out of his groove, forcing him into shallow, predictable throws rather than his usual downfield aggression.

And despite having one-on-one matchups outside, Hurts hasn’t taken his usual chances downfield. As per Cosell, “I can’t tell you why that is, but there were times where there were one-on-ones on the outside where he just didn’t turn a loose. He didn’t look there. So I don’t know the answer to that, but their past game has obviously not been very good.” However, the quarterback is owning up to his mistakes, “I take accountability for a lot of it, how we go out there. Because that’s my job…Given the opportunities that we had, I’m very critical of myself of trying to make the most of what’s given to us.” But there’s a bigger issue lurking beneath all of this.

Eagles coordinator still finding rhythm with Hurts

The coaching side isn’t exactly helping the offense break out. Cosell, on the same Podcast, added: “I think that Kevin Petullo is kind of learning on the fly. He’s the new coordinator. I think when you call plays in games for the first time, don’t forget he didn’t work with Jalen Hurts in a game in the preseason. So that’s an adjustment right there. Jalen Hurts, I think, has had six offensive coordinators in his career.” Put that together with Hurts’ history of having six offensive coordinators in six seasons, and you get a pretty clear picture of the challenges in building any offensive chemistry.

Patullo has a reputation as a smart guy, but rookie mistakes are inevitable. The heavy run calls from under center, the predictable tendency to hand off when two tight ends are lined up, and the repeated quick passing to short routes have made the offense easier to defend. Opponents already show discipline in double-covering Brown and clogging the short zones that have been Philadelphia’s bread and butter. For a team with Hurts, Smith, Brown, and Barkley on the roster, this cautious style clashes with the talent they have.

Yet the Eagles are winning. So, Coach Nick Sirianni remains optimistic but admits the explosive plays and risk-taking that usually fuel the team’s success have been missing. “In the last two weeks, we haven’t won [the explosive play battle] but we’ve protected the football. We have to get better at that phase of our game,” Sirianni said. That’s a cautious way of saying: the offense needs to shake off the rust.

The next big test awaits Sunday against a Rams team loaded with offensive firepower. If the Eagles want to prove this early conservative approach is sustainable, Hurts and Patullo need to tune their signals and finally unleash Philly’s playmakers. The talent is there, but trust, timing, and boldness still need to find their way into this struggling offense.