The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense had a surprising breakout in Monday’s 22‑19 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, putting up 365 net yards—the second‑most in the season—and averaging 5.4 yards per rushing attempt, the highest on the road and the best against a winning team.
Statistical Highlights
The team’s 365 net yards were the second‑most this year and the most on the road, the most against a winning opponent, and the most against a top‑10 offense. They also produced 10 plays of 15 yards or more, the most since the previous season’s NFC Championship Game. The offense achieved 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards for the first time since the Super Bowl and recorded 350 net yards against a winning team for the first time since that same championship game.
Turnovers and Missed Opportunities
Despite the yardage, five turnovers cost the Eagles 19 points. The team scored only one touchdown on 14 possessions and failed to convert on seven drives that reached the Chargers’ 40‑yard line—an outcome that had not happened in nine years. The five turnovers forced the offense to settle for a single touchdown, highlighting the gap between moving the ball and finishing drives.
Coaching Perspective
Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo praised the positives while acknowledging the frustration of missed red‑zone opportunities. “It’s a definite positive,” Patullo said after Thursday’s practice. “I think we’ve been close multiple times in certain games. You can see the Vikings game. There are certain games where we’ve been kind of on it and able to push through and do some really good things.”
Patullo added, “Some games it’s kind of been up and down, and we’ve had those moments where obviously we know we want to be better, but I think there were some positives that came out of that game. We were able to do some different things that we’ve been pushing toward doing and trending toward at times that showed up, and it was very encouraging. I think the guys felt pretty good about the things we did well on. They know what we need to fix and kind of continue to grow from.”
He continued, “It’s really frustrating because obviously red‑zone‑wise, we’ve been one of the best teams in the league in the red zone, so it’s frustrating when that happens. When you have good drives and you get it going and then you just can’t capitalize on it with a touchdown, you come to the sideline, you’re excited about the drive and we had good plays, but ultimately, when we get down in there, we want to score touchdowns. That’s the name of the business for us on offense. It is frustrating.”
Patullo noted, “Fortunately, we’ve been very good down in those areas (deep in opposing territory) throughout the year. That’s the one thing we’ve been good at, and we’ve just got to keep building on that and find new ways to score. We’ve had a couple of drives where we were on the fringe of the red zone and we just couldn’t quite push it through. … We’ve just got to capitalize when we get down there.”
Player Perspective
Running back Saquon Barkley echoed the optimism. “It’s easy to have a positive mindset when you believe in yourself and you know the talent that you have on this team and the coaches that we have on the team,” Barkley said in the locker room on Thursday. “I’m a big believer in the work you put in, it’s going to show at some point. It hasn’t, especially the last three weeks. The beautiful thing, we’re getting (another) opportunity Sunday.”
He added, “So I promise you guys we’re working our ass off. And hopefully we get back on track this week.”
Looking Ahead
The Eagles have scored 21 or fewer points in seven of their last nine games, and their 81 points in five games since the bye week are the fewest in a five‑game span in 13 years. The team will try to end a three‑game losing streak Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field against the 2‑11 Las Vegas Raiders, who have lost seven straight games and allow 25½ points per game.
“We’re going to get back on track this week,” Barkley reiterated. “We’re working our ass off and we hope to finish the season on a high note.”
Key Takeaways
- The Eagles’ offense produced 365 net yards, the second‑most this season, and averaged 5.4 yards per rushing attempt.
- Five turnovers led to only one touchdown on 14 possessions and a 22‑19 overtime loss.
- Despite the yardage, the team struggled to convert drives into points, missing seven opportunities inside the 40‑yard line.
The game highlighted the contrast between the Eagles’ ability to move the ball and their difficulty finishing drives, a theme that will be crucial as the team faces the Raiders on Sunday.
Closing
While the statistics show a bright spot for Philadelphia’s offense, the lack of touchdowns and the high turnover count underline the challenges that remain. Coach Patullo and player Saquon Barkley remain optimistic, focusing on building on the positives and correcting the shortcomings before the next game.
