The offense finally made some changes. Will they last?

Assessing the Eagles dominate win over the Raiders in Week 15 requires some nuance. Yes, the Eagles obviously rallied from three straight losses and played arguably their best 60 minutes of football all season. Winning in the NFL is hard. Winning 31-0 regardless of opponent cannot be ignored or written off because of a 2-11 record. On the other hand – Let’s see it against a contender or at the very least, a playoff team – is a very rational response. Outside of the first 18 minutes in Dallas, it’s been months since the Eagles offense showed that kind of life. Jalen Hurts hasn’t reached that level of intensity since the NFC Championship eleven months ago. Everything Sunday was a joy to see for the sore eyes of Eagle fans, but it raised the, Why did it take this long question.

Nothing the Eagles did Sunday was earth-shattering in terms of innovation. Fans – myself included – have literally been demanding these changes since the bye back in early November. Get to the line with more than ten seconds on the play clock. Run the football under center. Use play action more, especially under center. Get Dallas Goedert more involved. While basic, the Eagles refused these simple concepts for much of the season. Then all-of-a-sudden they appear out of nowhere. It raises some concerning questions.

First, why is the fanbase smarter than the offensive coaching staff? Second, because it took so long for change to be implemented, why does the offensive coordinator remain in his role? Third, if it’s true that a “new” consultant was a major part of the offense this week, why is he not calling plays? Fourth, was this a fluke? Will this weekend feature more of the constipated offense the Eagles displayed for most of the season? Five, can Hurts stay this invested? Why does he need everyone to doubt him before he elevates his level of play?

The answer to all these questions is, of course, who knows? Coaches are stubborn creatures. Nick Sirianni, for all his flaws, does not flinch. It’s both his greatest strength and flaw. If change happened weeks ago, the Eagles could still be in line to earn a bye week. All we can hope for at this moment is for Week 15 strategies to carry over into Week 16 and so on. If the Eagles do that, the run game will drastically improve. The easy throws will be there for Hurts and an offense more similar to the 2024 version will have a real shot of winning the NFC.

*****

Thursday Night Pick; Rams +1