Eagles overreactions through Week 5: Jalen Hurts-A.J. Brown issues fixed? Kevin Patullo one-and-done as OC?

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles finally lost a game, and it took a 14-point, fourth-quarter comeback by another team for that to occur. Philadelphia is 4-1 on the season after falling to the Denver Broncos 21-17 on Sunday, tied for the best record in the NFL. 

There are a lot of positives through five weeks, with wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. There was also a thrilling win over the Los Angeles Rams at the buzzer that likely should have been a loss, but wins are wins in the NFL.

The offense is inconsistent and the youngest defense is playing above expectations. The Eagles aren't as good as last season, but they were inconsistent at this stage through five weeks last year -- with a worse record. 

As the Eagles head into the meat of the season, there are some overreactions regarding this football team through five weeks. Which overreactions have merit and which are reality?

The Jalen Hurts-A.J. Brown dynamic is fixed

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

The Eagles certainly have been downplaying the dynamic between Hurts and Brown, who have a business relationship at this stage in their lives. That's not a bad thing by any means, but Brown has been vocal about getting the passing game going to set up the run.

Hurts and the Eagles obliged in Week 5, as the Eagles threw the ball 80% of the time -- including 19 of the final 20 plays. The Eagles lost the game and Hurts and Brown misconnected on a touchdown that would have sealed the win. Brown has largely taken the high road with his frustrations with the offense, but it's been noticeable enough for the Eagles to act and keep their pass catchers appeased.

Hurts, Brown and Saquon Barkley reportedly had a positive meeting this week regarding the offense, but the on-field results will tell the story. If the offense is more balanced, while Brown's and Barkley's numbers improve and the Eagles continue to win games, then the dynamic is fixed (to an extent). 

Eagles and Bills will have to end this unlikely 18-year NFL drought if they want to win Super Bowl this season

John Breech

Kevin Patullo will only last one season as Eagles OC

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

There are certainly reasons to be concerned over the state of the Eagles offense through five weeks. The Eagles are 29th in yards per play (4.4), 29th in yards per carry (3.5), and 25th in net yards per pass attempt (5.8). They are 16th in offensive points per game with a team that has Hurts, Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Barkley at the skill positions. 

The overall numbers are unacceptable, along with the inconsistency of the offense. In four of the first five weeks, the Eagles offense have gone through large spurts of being unable to get first downs -- usually lasting an entire half. The Eagles lead the NFL in three-and-out conversion percentage, showcasing the inefficiency and inconsistency of the unit.

Patullo has struggled in Year 1, but his tenure as a play caller is only five games in. If this inconsistency continues, he won't be back for 2026. He deserves the benefit of learning on the job and continuing to improve, much like Kellen Moore last season (even though Moore was a veteran play caller). 

The pass rush will be the reason Eagles won't win Super Bowl

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Has anyone checked in on the Eagles pass rush recently? Even though the defense has played well, the pass rush has been below par over the first five games. Za'Darius Smith is the only edge rusher with more than one sack, and he wasn't even on the team in Week 1!

The Eagles have seven sacks through five games, and Zack Baun (an off-ball linebacker) and Moro Ojomo (a rotational defensive tackle) lead the team in sacks. Jalyx Hunt doesn't have a sack, and neither does Josh Uche. Nolan Smith is injured, but he didn't have a sack through the three games he played either. 

Philadelphia is 16th in pressure rate (36.3%) and 28th in sack rate (3.8%), which is expected given what it lost and how little it invested in the edge rushers this offseason. The Eagles need to improve the pass rush by the trade deadline if they want to repeat as Super Bowl champions. 

Offensive line is why Saquon Barkley is struggling

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Barkley has not been the same player the Eagles are accustomed to, far from the running back who had 2,504 yards rushing last season (including playoffs). He has just 267 yards rushing and three touchdowns through five games, averaging 3.2 yards per carry. 

Where does Barkley rank among NFL running backs? He's 22nd in rushing yards and 39th among 44 qualified running backs in yards per carry. This isn't what the Eagles are paying Barkley for, but a banged-up offensive line is certainly not helping Barkley's cause.

Landon Dickerson is fighting through knee and ankle issues and is going to miss time, while Cam Jurgens is still recovering from back surgery. The offensive line hasn't been living up to the standards in previous years, as the Eagles are averaging 1.24 yards before contact per rush (19th in NFL) and averaging 3.2 yards per attempt on designed runs (30th in NFL). The negative rush percentage is 24.6% (28th in NFL) and they are facing an 8-man box 30.3% of the time (fourth most in NFL). 

The offensive line has struggled to block the 8-man fronts and have admitted the communication issues up front. Injuries and depth have hurt this group, along with Mekhi Becton leaving in free agency (and Tyler Steen has been solid). This group needs to get back to its typical standards for Barkley to have success.

The Eagles need to get the run game going, period.