This year’s Philadelphia Eagles have been tough to figure out at times. Losers of two straight, the Eagles sit at 8-4 and are still in decent playoff position, but it’s getting more and more interesting as the Dallas Cowboys inch closer.

Following a loss to those very Cowboys and then to the Chicago Bears, Eagles fans are quite fed up with how this offense has looked under coordinator Kevin Patullo. While some of the blame has shifted to head coach Nick Sirianni along with quarterback Jalen Hurts, the bulk still belongs on the offensive coordinator, himself.

Eagles legend Jason Kelce joined 94WIP for a segment recently and had this to say, specifically, when it comes to the offense:

“It’s an unquestioned advantage to be able to do quarterback runs…I would like to see them do more [QB] runs, I’m not going to lie…You get such better angles, the numbers are better, it makes life easy. It’s almost like cheating. And it’s been a big reason why the Eagles have been successful on the ground game throughout Hurts’ tenure.”

Jason Kelce’s latest Jalen Hurts comment is another indictment on Kevin Patullo

Kelce is calling attention to a glaring detail when it comes to Philadelphia’s offense this year. Hurts is on pace for the fewest rushing yards he’s had in a season since his rookie year. Currently, he is averaging 7.0 carries per game as opposed to reaching 10.0 per contest in 2024.

Furthermore, in four out of the last six games, Hurts has totaled five carries or fewer. That cannot happen. Is it any coincidence that the Eagles are struggling mightily on offense, and Hurts’ rushing numbers are down?

It’s not even just about the numbers, though. As Kelce pointed out, it’s the designed runs. Patullo isn’t using them nearly as much as he should be, and it shows. Like the future Hall of Famer points out, running Hurts is a cheat code.

Doing it more consistently will open up the offense and even allow Saquon Barkley to get going regularly. When the defense has to account for Hurts’ legs, it changes the game plan. But he’s just not getting the opportunity to do it as much this season.

Let’s dive a little deeper and make it make even more sense. Hurts is not just averaging three fewer carries per game this season. He’s averaging 15.0 yards less on the ground per game.

Do the simple math and call it 5.0 yards per carry.

Now, let’s look at Philadelphia’s third-down percentage. The Eagles rank 28th in the NFL while converting just 34.46 percent of their third downs.

Do we not think that an extra three carries, for five yards apiece, from Hurts, would significantly help the unit as a whole?

On the surface, 15 extra yards on three carries might seem minor. But that very well could lead to another three third-down conversions per week. What if it did? What if Patullo made the change now and we saw it pay dividends?

What if Kelce is right?

Read more: Adam Schefter just dealt Eagles fans a massive Jalen Carter blow in Week 14

Spoiler alert: he is.