If you only skim headlines this week, you’d think the entire league is just one giant head coach carousel. And look — fair. The NFL’s “Black Monday” is always loud, and this year’s postseason fallout has been especially noisy.

But two moves tucked just beneath the headliner chaos matter a lot more than they’re getting credit for: the Philadelphia Eagles moving on from offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, and the Los Angeles Chargers firing Greg Roman (and offensive line coach Mike Devlin) after both teams got bounced in the Wild Card round.

These aren’t “cleaning house” teams. These are playoff teams. One of them is the defending Super Bowl champ. Both have franchise quarterbacks. Both have rosters that should be built for January.

And both admitted that they can’t keep doing what they were doing on offense.

January Exposes Everything

There are playoff losses where one unlucky bounce flips the game, and you can go into the offseason saying, "If only that hadn't happened".

Then there are the uncomfortable kind where, once the film gets turned on, you realize the warning signs were there all along. You spent four months telling yourself you were fine and that it would look different when it mattered, but then you get there, and those same things you've been worrying about all season are put under the spotlight.

That’s what happened to the Chargers in a 16–3 loss to the Patriots, and to the Eagles in a 23–19 loss to the 49ers at home.

And in both cases, the postgame conversation kept circling back to the same place. It wasn’t “the defense collapsed” or “special teams gave it away.” It was all about the offense.

So two teams that were still alive last week decided to hit the reset button on their offensive identity — and asked their quarterbacks to learn a new language. Again.

Greg Roman and the Chargers: A Run-First Plan That Ran Out of Road

If you’re a Chargers fan, you probably already know the feeling: you spend all season believing your quarterback can erase any problem… and then you watch a playoff game where the offense looks like it’s stuck in wet cement.

In that loss to New England, they finished with 207 total yards and a single field goal — the second-fewest total yards in franchise playoff history. The closest they got to a real punch? A drive that reached first-and-goal at the Patriots’ 10-yard line, and still ended with a field goal.

And once the Patriots figured out what they wanted to do, there wasn’t a Plan B.

The Bigger Issue: Two Playoff Games, One Offensive Touchdown

Over the Chargers’ last two playoff games, they’ve produced one offensive touchdown.

Read that again. One.

Last year’s 32–12 Wild Card loss to Houston at least had a moment where the offense found the end zone once. This year? Three points. Not three touchdowns. Three points. That’s not the kind of thing you explain away with "they just ran into a tough defense." That’s the kind of thing that makes an organization step back and ask whether the structure itself is limiting what the team can be.

Because when you have Justin Herbert, you’re not supposed to be squinting at the scoreboard wondering how the offense disappeared. You can lose playoff games with Herbert — that happens — but you’re not supposed to lose them because you simply can’t generate points.

Roman’s Identity: Physical, Efficient… and Predictable When It Breaks

Greg Roman has never been a mystery. His offenses have a very clear identity, and if you’ve watched them over the years, you know exactly what he’s trying to build:

• Heavy run emphasis

• Multiple tight ends and fullbacks

• A downhill, physical offensive line

• Play-action shots built off run looks

• Quarterback movement designed to stress the edge

When it’s working, it’s a grind in the best way. Defenses get worn down. Linebackers hesitate. Safeties start cheating downhill. Roman has been a huge part of some legitimately great run games, and his work with unique quarterbacks — including helping Lamar Jackson win an MVP — speaks for itself.

The issue is that the whole thing is extremely dependent on one thing: the run game has to be a real, consistent threat.Not occasionally. Not in spurts. All the time.

For the Chargers, that was never really the case.

They finished 12th in total offense, which sounds fine on paper, but only 20th in points scored, which tells you everything you need to know. They could move the ball between the 20s, but once drives tightened up, things stalled out way too often.

And the idea that Roman would supercharge the run game never fully materialized. The Chargers ranked 27th in success rate on designed runs over Roman’s two seasons, which is honestly jarring given that improving the run game was a core reason he was hired in the first place.

The Injury Context (Because It Matters)

If you’re going to build a run-heavy offense, there are a couple non-negotiables. You need:

1. A line that can actually move people.

2. A run game that stays intact long enough to develop confidence and identity.

The Chargers never had either for more than a few weeks at a time.

Their offensive line situation turned into a weekly jigsaw puzzle. They rolled through 29 different offensive line combinations. At various points, they played three different centers, four left tackles, six right tackles, and four different right guards.

It was the stars, too. Rashawn Slater goes down with a season-ending patellar tendon injury before the season. Later, Joe Alt suffers a high ankle injury. The running back room didn’t escape the injury bug either — Najee Harris lost for the year, and rookie Omarion Hampton was only able to suit up for nine games.

That’s the kind of attrition that can derail any offense, but it’s especially brutal for one that’s supposed to win through physicality and rhythm. When the pieces keep changing, you never get to build momentum — you’re just trying to survive week to week.

And if you’re Greg Roman, there’s a fair argument here. The version of this offense that Jim Harbaugh envisioned — downhill, confident, imposing — never really got the chance to breathe.

But the playoffs don’t care about your injury report.

The Herbert Question: Are You Building Around His Strengths?

This has always been the tension at the center of the Chargers’ Roman era.

Justin Herbert is a “win because of him” quarterback. He’s got the arm talent, the toughness, and the composure to drag an offense through bad moments. He can make throws most quarterbacks won’t even attempt, and he’s shown time and time again that he can make up for a lot of holes the offense has.

So the natural question is: why does this offense have to work so hard just to get to 17 points?

When the line wasn't healthy and the run game wasn't being efficient, Roman's plan started working against them:

• Fewer easy throws on early downs

• Longer, more stressful third downs

• Less spacing and fewer built-in answers

• A quarterback who has to be nearly flawless just to move the chains

Herbert wasn’t perfect in the Wild Card game — and that’s clear. He was also playing through a hand injury. But the Patriots did exactly what good playoff defenses do: they forced the Chargers to execute in tight windows, snap after snap, without giving them cheap completions or easy momentum builders.

The Chargers never really countered. There weren’t enough quick answers. And when an offense with Herbert starts feeling tight instead of confident, something’s got to change.

Kevin Patullo and the Eagles: From Confetti to Confusion

It was less than a year ago that the Philadelphia Eagles were lifting the Lombardi Trophy after a blowout win over Kansas City, where the offense looked like an all‑star team, and everything felt lined up for one of those “we might be here a while” runs. They had the core guys locked up, the quarterback in his prime, and confidence dripping from every snap.

Then the offseason happened. Kellen Moore left for the Saints’ head coaching job. The Eagles promoted Kevin Patullo — a long‑time Sirianni staffer who’d been the pass game coordinator and associate head coach — and sold it as continuity.

On paper, that made sense. Same building, same language, same core ideas.

But once the season started, the offense never found that same rhythm.

A Scary Drop

If you’re looking for proof this wasn’t just fan paranoia or Philly being Philly, the numbers back it up:

• The Eagles went from 7th in scoring (27.2 PPG) last season to 19th (22.3 PPG) this year.

• They finished 24th in total offense.

• Their run game went from 2nd in the league (179.3 yards per game) to 18th (116.9).

That last one matters more than it probably seems at first glance. Last year, the run game was the Eagles’ safety blanket. When the passing game hit a lull, they could still line up and impose their will.

This year, that security just wasn’t there.

Instead, the offense became incredibly streaky. A good quarter here. A nice drive there. Then long stretches where nothing felt easy, and the frustration was boiling over throughout the unit.

The Eagles led the league in three‑and‑outs and were near the top in penalties — two things that usually point to deeper issues than just play design. That’s execution. That’s rhythm. That’s an offense that never quite settles in.

The Weird Irony: They Were Great in the Red Zone

Despite all the frustration, the Eagles finished first in the NFL in red‑zone touchdown rate at 70%. So when they actually got down there, they could still finish.

The problem was everything before that.

Getting into manageable down‑and‑distances. Staying ahead of the chains. Sustaining drives once defenses adjusted. Too often, the Eagles made the hard part look even harder.

The Passing Game Failed Again

The Eagles’ loss to San Francisco felt like the entire season boiled down into one long, uneasy afternoon.

They led 16–9 at halftime, which should’ve been enough to put the game on their terms. At that point, it felt like one or two steady second‑half drives would do it — bleed some clock, flip the field, force San Francisco to chase.

Instead, the offense got streaky again. Nothing felt automatic anymore.

The Eagles had four drives that ended in punts — three of them coming in the second half. Across those four possessions, they ran 12 plays and gained one total yard.

One.

Four different times they got the ball back with a chance to flip the game, and all they could come up with was a single yard.

San Francisco took away the first look, sat on familiar concepts, and dared the Eagles to adjust on the fly. They never did. Once the game got close, they had to lean on their passing game, and it ended horribly.

Was Patullo the Problem, or the Convenient Target?

Nick Sirianni’s statement didn’t sound like a coach burning a bridge. He called Kevin Patullo a great coach, said he had his “utmost respect,” and took responsibility himself, saying:

“Ultimately, when we fall short of our goals that responsibility lies on my shoulders.”

Players echoed that sentiment.

DeVonta Smith said he thought Patullo did a good job. Saquon Barkley called him a great coach and pointed the finger back at execution.

At the same time, this is still the NFL — and results are the currency. When an offense with this much talent struggles this much to move the ball consistently and then goes completely quiet for an entire half in a home playoff game, something has to give.

The Hurts Factor: “It’s Too Soon” Said Plenty

Jalen Hurts didn’t exactly pound the table for Patullo to stay.

When asked about Patullo’s future, Hurts said it was “too soon” to think about it and deferred to the front office. It wasn’t a criticism — but it also wasn’t an endorsement.

He also talked about wanting a “home base.” Something stable. Something you can build on. This is going to be Hurts' fifth offensive coordinator in five years — some of them lost because of success, others because they couldn't get the job done. Either way, it can't be easy to spend every offseason of your career learning a completely new offense and the language for it.

Quarterbacks aren’t just learning plays. They’re learning entire systems — verbiage, protection rules, route adjustments, timing, coaching preferences, what’s a must‑have versus what’s optional when things break down.

When that changes every year, it doesn’t just test patience. It changes how you play. You get more cautious. You lean on what you know instead of what you might be able to grow into.

Two of the Most Attractive OC Jobs in Football

If you’re a play-caller, these are the kinds of openings that make you pick up the phone immediately.

Not because they’re easy — they’re not — but because they’ve got the ingredients. You’ve got quarterbacks who can win games for you. You’ve got rosters that expect to be playing in January. And yeah, you’ve got pressure, but that’s the kind of pressure that comes with all the best jobs.

What the Chargers Should Prioritize

First and foremost, get Justin Herbert easy answers. That means more spacing, more pre‑snap motion, and more concepts that tell the quarterback what the defense is doing before the ball is snapped. Herbert shouldn’t have to live in third‑and‑long.

Second, stay balanced without being stubborn. The run game still matters, especially with Jim Harbaugh involved, but it can’t be the only idea. Balance doesn’t mean forcing the run when it’s not there — it means letting the offense breathe when defenses sell out to stop it.

And finally, fix finishing drives. Being 12th in yards and 20th in points is the most Chargers stat imaginable. Moving the ball isn’t the issue. Turning those yards into touchdowns has been.

What the Eagles Should Prioritize

What are you, week to week?

Are you an RPO‑heavy, run‑first bully that leans on physicality? Are you a spread offense that lets Jalen Hurts be the engine and stresses defenses horizontally? Are you a motion‑heavy group that creates mismatches for A.J. Brown (if he's still around) and DeVonta Smith underneath before hitting explosives over the top?

You can mix and match elements — most good offenses do — but you have to have a clear identity. Something you can fall back on when the game gets tight and the easy stuff disappears.

And if the reporting is accurate, the Eagles know it. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini has linked Philadelphia to big‑name options that were so good in the spot that they earned head coaching roles, like Brian Daboll and Mike McDaniel. That's exactly what they need: a proven, outside voice.

When the Reset Button Becomes the Pattern

Here’s the part I keep coming back to:

Herbert and Hurts are both about to start over again.

That’s the part you can’t just hand‑wave away or shrug off as “part of the business.” At some point, it stops being coincidence and starts being a real hinderance on a quarterback's development.

We talk about development like it’s just reps, film study, and arm talent. And sure, all of that matters. But for a lot of quarterbacks — especially ones who are already established — development is also about stability. It’s knowing what your offense is, why it’s built that way, and where your answers live when the defense takes away your first read.

That kind of comfort doesn’t show up overnight. It comes from running the same concepts in different situations, seeing the same looks over and over, and knowing exactly where the escape hatches are. When the system changes every year, that can't ever happen.

And both teams are making these changes because they believe their quarterbacks are too important to waste.

So they hit reset again, hoping this version finally sticks. It’s risky. But in their minds, it’s better than wasting a season wondering if the offense could’ve been better than it was.

That’s the paradox.

All stats courtesy of NFL Pro.