This felt like another step forward for the Philadelphia Eagles, even if the design of the offense looked different from last week. Against Washington, the Eagles leaned far more heavily into empty formations and 11 personnel. While that’s a shift away from the under center identity I praised last week, it didn’t feel like a regression. Instead, it felt like the staff was responding to what the defense was giving them rather than stubbornly forcing one way of playing.
Offense
Early on, the Eagles hammered Empty, and it was absolutely the right call. Washington insisted on living in base personnel against 11 (I have no idea why), which is basically begging to be spread out and stressed horizontally. Hurts looked extremely comfortable in Empty, as he always does. I’ve called for more Empty for a long time. Hurts was decisive with the football and clean in his processing. The offense looked less predictable throughout the game than it did earlier in the season, and that alone is progress.
Once Washington responded by spinning to two-high looks, the Eagles didn’t panic. Hurts didn’t force throws he didn’t like and instead used the spacing that Empty creates to escape and scramble. That’s not a failure of the concept. It’s one reason why I love using Empty formations with a mobile quarterback. Empty gives the quarterback space, clearer pictures, and cleaner run lanes to escape. Hurts’ decision-making here was excellent, and the scrambles were controlled rather than frantic. I can’t recall him getting hit on these runs either, which highlights that they are not a ‘risky’ play.
Washington decided that, rather than playing nickel on the first drive, they would play some more single-high in order to prevent Hurts from escaping. Here, Washington rotated to single-high with linebackers staring at Hurts, which left a 2v2 matchup on the outside, which is perfect for a slot fade. I think this whole drive was one of the best of the season, and I give Kevin Patullo credit for this one. Sadly, DeVonta Smith dropped this one, but he made up for it!
What stood out throughout the game was how efficient Hurts has become as a dropback passer when the structure is clean. He’s just a good quarterback. You read a lot of rubbish online about his inability to read a defense, but consistently being this efficient is a sign that his pre-snap process is really strong. He’s not someone who will get to a backside dig as his 4th read, but there are other ways to play quarterback in the NFL. Washington was clearly trying to prevent explosives, and Hurts took what was available, hit his back foot, and got the ball out on time. The offense flowed nicely throughout. Getting the ball into A.J. Brown’s hands underneath rather than forcing vertical shots made a huge difference, especially using pivot and return routes that actually create yards after catch rather than dead hitches that limit his ability to create after the catch.
Even outside of Empty, the same principles showed up. On several snaps, Hurts identified single-high early, understood the leverage advantage outside, and got the ball out quickly before linebackers could recover. He really does feel like a rhythm quarterback, and Empty early seemed to help him settle into that rhythm. I think a legitimate criticism of Hurts is that when he gets out of rhythm, it can take him a few drives to get going again. If the goal was to get Hurts comfortable and decisive, this was a strong blueprint.
The run game, however, remains a mixed bag. At times, a frustrating one. Overall, this was a good rushing performance, but I still had some criticism early on. QB Counter Bash was so effective last year, but it just hasn’t worked this season, and the reason why it didn’t work this week is obvious. Grant Calcaterra being asked to block the EDGE after a double-team is not a winning formula, and Jordan Mailata missing as a puller only compounds the issue. Mailiata has had a few too many disappointing reps for such a good player this year. Too many runs with Calcaterra on the field still feel like wasted downs.
Last week, I wrote at length about the Eagles playing from under center a lot. Although they didn’t use it much this week, they still had success when they did. When the Eagles did go under center, the efficiency was outstanding. One underrated benefit of under-center play is how naturally it syncs the quarterback’s drop with the route structure, and this touchdown to DeVonta Smith is a perfect example. The overall balance was also far healthier than it had been earlier in the season. The offense was less predictable, and it wasn’t obvious that they were running every time they went under center.
There were also some encouraging snaps with Hurts on the move. They tried to get him outside the pocket on a few occasions, and they worked well. Just like last week, more flood concepts showed up, which were largely absent early in the year. They paired this concept nicely with the under center looks, as you can see here. You don’t need to live under center all game, but continuing to mix it in clearly makes everything else easier and gives the defense more to think about. If you were playing the Eagles next week, you wouldn’t exactly know how they would attack you, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing (as long as the offensive principles remain the same).
What a dime. Hurts has bounced back from a couple of below-average weeks with two really strong performances. One of his best throws of the season came on a big third-and-long to Dallas Goedert. Whether Goedert is running a true corner or an option route based on the safety, the throw and catch were outstanding. Hurts read the cornerback’s leverage and ripped the ball over his head. Just as importantly, the staff allowed him to be aggressive in that moment instead of defaulting to a screen or checkdown. That trust matters. Hurts has made enough plays on 3rd and long for this staff to give him a shot at converting in key situations.
As the game went on, the run game finally found some life. It wasn’t because of any exotic schemes. This was mostly straightforward inside zone, with far less outside zone than we’ve seen in other weeks, which makes a ton of sense. The offensive line played better, Barkley was able to get to the second level, and the Eagles did a much better job cutting off the backside EDGE than they have done in recent weeks. Here, they use Goedert’s motion to take care of the backside EDGE, but his motion also removes a cornerback from the run fit. If the Eagles can get back to running inside zone consistently well, this opens up a ton of stuff. Inside zone has been their staple run concept for years, so this was a really promising development.
For all the talk of under center, shotgun runs still matter too, mainly because of Hurts’ pull. Even when he doesn’t keep the ball, defenders have to respect the threat of him running. I am a fan of under center, but mainly because of its impact on the play-action passing game. I still prefer a shotgun running game with a mobile quarterback. On Saquon Barkley’s touchdown run, you can see that almost four defenders are frozen by the threat of Hurts keeping, which creates a wide-open crease. If the Eagles can get their shotgun inside zone back to a high level, the ceiling of this offense rises significantly. Saquon Barkley was simply phenomenal in this game, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the offensive line played better, too!
Ironically, the biggest run of the game came from under center on a play that probably shouldn’t have worked at all. Cam Jurgens or Tyler Steen whiffed badly, but Barkley simply refused to let the play die. The Eagles were in Jumbo personnel here, which I am a fan of. This wasn’t great scheme or a great design. It was a great player making a great play. It’s a reminder that the ceiling of this offense remains exceptionally high because they have great players. The film continues to show that Barkley hasn’t lost anything physically. He’s still special. Great players will make great plays. Which means, anything can happen with this team moving forward…
This one also came on Jumbo personnel. With six offensive linemen on the field, the Eagles created movement they simply can’t with their backup tight ends. Matt Pryor’s block is the type of block that hasn’t existed in this offense for weeks. When Lane Johnson returns, leaning into jumbo more often feels like a no-brainer. The Eagles do not throw to Grant Calcaterra or Kylen Granson anyway, so why not use 6 offensive linemen more often?
Final Thoughts
I guess, after last week, it’s fair to say this offense doesn’t yet have a single fixed identity. But that might not be a bad thing. What matters is that it’s becoming responsive to the defense, less predictable, and the quarterback seems to be seeing things clearly again. Empty, under center, inside zone, and getting Hurts on the move are all things that many of us have wanted to see for a while. If the Eagles keep leaning into what works each week instead of forcing what they want to be, this unit can keep trending upward. The flow feels better. The intent feels clearer. And for the first time in a while, maybe this feels sustainable?
Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!
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