A.J. Brown, Hurts, Eagles Offense Ripped by NFL Fans After 49ers Win Eliminates Defending Champs
The defending champions are done. An underachieving offense is the culprit.
The Philadelphia Eagles are one-and-done in the playoffs, losing 23-19 against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Big days from Christian McCaffrey (114 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns) and wideout DeMarcus Robinson (six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown).
But it’s hard to imagine the primary discourse around this game won’t be Philadelphia’s shockingly inept offensive performance despite having stars like Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, among others.
First-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is going to be the primary scapegoat, but there was plenty of blame to go around on social media after last year’s Super Bowl champions failed to win a single playoff game this season:
The Eagles had a chance to win, taking over with just under three minutes remaining and down four. They moved the ball down to San Fran’s 21-yard line with less than a minute remaining but stalled out from there.
The offense’s inability to consistently produce despite being loaded with talent was a storyline all season long. Patullo’s scheme and playcalling was questioned from the jump. Brown was unhappy with his role early in the season (though his several crucial drops on Sunday made him as big a culprit for the loss as anybody else). The offensive line failed to generate the same push as it did a year ago when is mashed opponents. Jalen Hurts struggled when asked to carry a larger load of the offense through the air. Even the Tush Push was less effective this year (though worked several times against the Niners).
The Eagles had one of the best defenses in football, and enough talent to be one of the top offenses in football as well. Even a more competent and consistent offense might have been enough for another Super Bowl run. But Patullo’s offense simply wasn’t up to the task and it’s hard to imagine him returning next season.
The 2025 Eagles will be remembered as a colossal disappointment. A missed opportunity. They have a young core that isn’t going anywhere, but who will be leading them into 2026 and beyond remains to be seen.
