Jason Kelce, the notorious former center for the Eagles, pointed out specific aspects of the Eagles vs Chiefs game when invited on the Sportsradio 94 WIP podcast. The Eagles left Arrowhead with a 20–17 loss to the Chiefs, exposing clear offensive breakdowns. Calls for false-starting on the tush push were missed, and demands for tighter officiating stood out. He explained that the passing attack looked disjointed, marked by missed assignments and stalled momentum. 

“If they don’t miss the corner blitzing on the nub side, they get that picked up. That might be a huge play down the field. So I think overall it feels like it’s just a little bit disjointed. Guys are kind of missing here and there, but I still think there’s a lot of optimism moving forward. They still have great players. The run game was a lot better this last week with Saquon and the offensive line, and I have a lot of confidence in the passing and will pick up,” Jason Kelce added.  

The Chiefs’ defense stifled Philadelphia, forcing the Eagles to rely on situational plays over rhythm in the air. The Eagles rank 29th in the NFL in terms of passing yards per game this week. The Eagles rank 31st in passing yards, seventh in rushing, 29th in total yards per game, and 16th in scoring. Saquon Barkley’s strong rushing skills and conversion rate have powered Philly’s 2-0 start despite low yardage.

Even against stacked fronts, Barkley remains among the league’s best despite not running at a 2,000-yard pace. With 148 rushing yards in two games, Barkley ranks ninth in the NFL, trailing Jacobs, Williams, and Robinson. He accumulated 178 total scrimmage yards, including 80+ yards in each of the Eagles’ 204 games.

Kelce also added, “I think that they’ve been great in certain situations. I think they’ve been really good in the red zone. I think that they’ve been good in third-down conversions, which part of that is Tush Push related. But even to start the game. I think. A lot of the time, there’s like two different parts of the game plan.”

The Eagles have scored points during the first two weeks when they cross the 20-yard line. Philadelphia consistently scores touchdowns while going 5-for-5 in the red zone. As a result, a club that ranks 29th in total yards might now rank 16th in scoring. Where Philadelphia continues to thrive is in short yardage. The “Tush Push,” a quarterback sneak powered by linemen driving behind Jalen Hurts, remains the team’s most reliable weapon. Against Kansas City, the Eagles turned to it again in critical spots. 

Tush Push Sparks Scrutiny under 1,000 frames per second

Yet, Tush Push keeps fueling debate. Fox rules analyst Dean Blandino said, “I am done with the tush push, guys. It’s a hard play to officiate.” The play nearly disappeared from the league this offseason. In May, the Green Bay Packers introduced a proposal to ban it at the NFL owners’ meetings. The measure drew strong support but fell two votes short of the 24 required to pass. The Ravens, Patriots, Jets, and Lions reportedly backed the Eagles to keep it alive.

The Eagles ran seven Tush Push plays in Week 2, making up 11.7% of their snaps. “This game was lost when the NFL owners refused to ban the tush push. It wasn’t lost yesterday, it was lost in March! Because this play is unstoppable. Not only does the defense not know how to handle it, but even the officials don’t know how to handle it,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter explained on “Get Up”.

The tush push is not an Eagles play; it is still a football play. The Eagles can defend the play but must use it carefully. Just two votes shy of a ban, officiating has since come under the spotlight. In the game against Kansas, officials admitted Philly gained from a missed Tush Push false start. Eagles’ right guard, Tyler Steen, should have been assessed a penalty for moving early.

The NFL followed by distributing training tape to referees, emphasizing tighter enforcement. National Football League Vice President of officiating training and development, Ramon George, said, “We want to be black and white and be as tight as we can be when we get into this situation. Before the snap, it looks like we have movement by the right guard. We also have movement coming across from the defensive side. This is a very hard play to officiate. I get it.” 

The league confirmed it in a training tape sent to all 32 NFL head coaches and GMs. Though the league aims to improve officiating, losing games remains a steep cost.