The Eagles' star O-linemen have advocated for changes on offense

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles' offense has had more success since an early bye week, and veteran right tackle Lane Johnson pointed to a greater emphasis on the running game as well as play-action passes as the catalyst for the offense.

Johnson, Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson, the Eagles' three most successful offensive players, lobbied head coach Nick Sirianni for the changes, citing the Eagles' success against Detroit in 2021.

“I think we have a really good running back in the backfield and we would like to give him touches, but I just think we had some discussions there during the bye week and came back to what our identity was. We had to establish that,” Johnson said. “So if I had to compare it to anything, I would probably compare it to 2021 when we played Detroit and had similar offensive tactics. … We played against Detroit and ran a lot of running plays, a lot of play actions, etc. “It worked out really well for us.

“So it's more of the same formula, and if you're able to do that, you can reduce the pass rush. You can put the supporters in a position where they have to play the run or the pass instead of being somehow one-dimensional.

Johnson had called the Eagles' offense “stuffed up” in the weeks they struggled.

“It was really an offensive movement,” Johnson said of the advocacy group. “We knew we had to make some adjustments. Some of the guys, some of the executives, veterans, on the O-line, we had a lot of conversations and help with that. We just want the offense to be the best version of itself, win some games and hopefully get some points in the first quarter.”

Entering Lions play in 2021, the Eagles were 2-5 and shy of a playoff run, relying on the run game and racking up 200 yards on the ground before falling to Tampa in the wild-card round of the playoffs Bay were solved.

A return to this could be seen as a step backwards in the offensive development, particularly when it comes to quarterback Jalen Hurts in the passing game, so the coaching staff wasn't quite as decisive as Johnson, who like all O-linemen comes from the default mindset of running the football to want.

“Identity is exaggerated. I really think what is identity? “What is the identity?” Sirianni said. “And I tell you, I've told you this many times, our identity is to play with a lot of details. Our identity is to play physically with toughness and our identity is to play together and everything else changes from week to week.”

The passing game. The running game. Balance. Game action. Movement. Whatever a fan's favorite variation, it's all tied together by execution on any given day in a parity-oriented league where the margin for error is low and transitive properties don't carry over.

“I think the identity of this football team is physical and that's what we're going to try to do every week, play physically,” the coach said.

Hurts described it as a desire to be the “imposing guy,” no matter what that may look like against a particular opponent.

“I think when you're able to be the imposing guy, that says a lot about what you are on offense,” Hurts said. “There are multiple ways to get something done, right? You can do that with the gun. You can do that in the passing game. You can do that in the running game, the action game, whatever, as long as you have full control.

“And I think that’s more because of the mentality that we’re trying to develop and that’s what I want to push forward. To be honest, it’s about what we do, not what others do.”

Johnson said Sirianni was an attentive listener and suggestions would not be ignored.

“We talk about everything together,” Sirianni said before practice on Friday. “We go through our processes together. Same thing, I'm not going to say this percentage or that percentage or anything like that, but as a coach you try to evaluate what your players are doing well. You do this in a practical way. You do this based on games and what you are successful at and what you are not successful at.

“You can also achieve this by talking to the players. “How do you feel about that? How do you feel about that?' It's a both/and and we're all in the same boat. We win games together; We lose games together. Together we will find the best answers. That’s also why it’s one of the greatest team sports there is.”

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is responsible for game planning and play instruction on game days and ultimately determines the direction of the offense.

“In terms of the game plan and the situation, it’s certainly a really good value. The running game and the potential of an action game over time,” Moore said. “So there have been some good things in the run game that have allowed us to get downhill the last few weeks.”

“We’ll see where it takes us.”

And Johnson knows things can change in the blink of an eye.

“We have to be ready to adapt. If teams want to fill the box and force us to go a different route, we will do that,” the All-Pro said. “… For us it’s about getting the offense rolling and doing our best.”

Sirianni was even more succinct.

“Success requires what it takes,” said the coach.

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