Don’t look now, but the Dallas Cowboys are quickly rising toward the top of the NFC East. On the back of a three-game winning streak, including impressive performances against both of the teams featured in last season’s Super Bowl, the once-discarded Cowboys are forcing their way into the NFC playoff picture.
Still, the road ahead is steep. Dallas likely needs to win out and hope for a couple of losses by the Philadelphia Eagles to overtake them in the final month of the season. The Cowboys’ division rivals are keeping the door open, but it won’t be an easy task.
But with Philadelphia’s refusal to replace offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, the Cowboys might just be able to pull it off.
Eagles’ Kevin Patullo mishap gives Cowboys a clear path to winning the NFC East
The Eagles have struggled to find consistency on offense throughout the season. Despite their overwhelming talent, their offense has been stale and stagnant. While there are a few factors in their decline, Kellen Moore’s departure for New Orleans may be the most impactful. The Eagles made Patullo his replacement, and the move has been a disaster so far. Patullo’s leadership has plummeted the Eagles’ offense to a bottom-ten unit.
Even after an embarrassing offensive performance against the Chicago Bears on Black Friday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is sticking with his offensive coordinator. Speaking to the media after the loss, Sirianni said, “We’re not changing the play-caller. I have confidence in the entire group. I know it will keep coming back to Kevin. If I thought it was one thing, I’d make those changes. Obviously, it’s a lot of different things. I don’t think it’s Kevin.”
When an offense goes from being a dominant unit capable of mowing down opponents en route to a Super Bowl blowout to struggling to find any sort of success, it’s hard not to point fingers at the man calling the plays. While Patullo may not be the only problem in Philadelphia, he’s clearly not part of the solution. The move may look desperate, but it seems obvious that he needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
If the Eagles don’t turn things around quickly, they’ll afford the Cowboys an opportunity to steal the NFC East title. Sirianni’s reluctance to make a change that is clearly needed could be exactly what the Cowboys need to work their way into the postseason.