The Philadelphia Eagles closed out last season with a sensational offensive display, with 95 combined points across the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. Expectations were high that they would resume that dominance in 2025, but the start of the year proved more challenging.

Through the first two games, the offense struggled to find rhythm. Saquon Barkley was largely contained, and quarterback Jalen Hurts hadn’t yet thrown for 200 yards in a single contest. That all changed in Week 3. The Eagles improved to 3-0 with a thrilling 33-26 win over the visiting Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. However, the victory wasn’t smooth sailing.

Sunday’s game left us with a question of whether Hurts had begun taking control of play-calling in the third and fourth quarters, effectively steering the offense past the constraints of first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s conservative approach. The dramatic shift sparked rumors among fans and analysts alike. Including analyst Shannon Sharpe, who, alongside Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, broke down the dramatic turnaround against the Rams. Chad Johnson explained, “That all comes down to Patullo and his goddamn play calling. And hey, let’s go into this game this week. Let’s be aggressive. Let’s show them that we can, because Jalen is well capable of doing so, that we can throw the ball.”

The Rams had a 26-7 lead in the third quarter. However, everything shifted after halftime. After two quarters of conservative play-calling, Jalen Hurts went for a far more aggressive attack.

Sharpe responded by highlighting the defensive adjustments teams make against the Eagles’ rushing attack: “You can, because you’re getting one-on-one, because they’re doing everything they can to stop Saquon. They listen. ‘Oh, we go into the game. We know you want to run Saquon. We know you got this mammoth offensive line. We know you want to run Saquon. We’re gonna stop him. We’re gonna force you.’”

He also pointed out how the Eagles adapted to the pressure: “So Sunday they forced him, and AJ Brown and DeVon Smith came up big. They caught him in a zone and hit down guarded down the seam for a touchdown. AJ Brown made some unbelievable catches.”

A.J. Brown led the way with six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown—his best performance of the 2025 season so far—while DeVonta Smith added eight receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. The second-half dominance highlighted what happens when Hurts and his offensive unit are given room to play their way.

With Chad Johnson adding a note of uncertainty: “Matter of fact, you know what? Now that I think about it, I’m not sure if Jalen Hurts has the freedom to do so, but Patullo calls a play.”

The contrast between the halves was striking. The Eagles held a mere 33 yards in the first half and trailed 26-7, yet exploded in the second, amassing 255 yards and scoring 26 points. Hurts finished with 226 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions on 21 of 32 passes. The production on the field suggests that Hurts played a pivotal role, even within Patullo’s play-calling framework.

Jalen Hurts and a frustrated Eagles locker room despite the win

A.J. Brown made it clear he’s frustrated with how the Eagles’ offense has been managed at times. “Me, personally, I truly believe, we got so many good players on this team. And at times, you can feel like we’re being conservative. And I don’t think it should be like that. I think it should be, let your killers do their thing and play fast and play aggressive. Not saying that we haven’t been,” Brown said.

Even with the conservative approach lingering, the Eagles found a way to shine in critical moments. Brown’s spectacular 38-yard one-handed catch on Jordan Davis’ last-second blocked field goal set up the comeback, and he also helped convert two crucial 3rd-and-10 plays that extended the game-winning drive.

Brown’s point wasn’t to blame anyone directly, but his message was clear. “But me, personally, that’s what I would like. Obviously, we’re going run the ball, and we’re going to set up the run off the pass and the pass off the run. But we have a lot of good players, and we should just let it go.”

Cameras even caught Jalen Hurts in a fiery, animated exchange with Patullo and RB coach Jemal Singleton, sparking speculation that he may have been influencing the offense directly. Head coach Nick Sirianni addressed the rumors on Monday, firmly stating, “Kevin called the plays yesterday in that second half. But make no mistake about it, Jalen does a great job of communicating.”

In just the second half, he threw for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Hurts found tight end Dallas Goedert and receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith for touchdown passes, showing the explosive potential the Eagles possessed when firing on all cylinders.