Pushing It

PHILADELPHIA – True to form on a typical week, Wednesday had proved to be an eventful day at the NovaCare Complex for the 2-0 Eagles.

The day yielded promising developments from a health perspective, with a handful of key contributors returning to practice. It was also a big day with regards to the “Tush Push,” with offensive linemen Jordan Mailata and Cam Jurgens both addressing the most-discussed play in the NFL.

“It’s a beautiful piece of art,” Mailata said. “It’s definitely a work of art. It’s a lot of coordination, a lot of organized mess. And every other team can do it. Why can’t they convert? You could do it. You can do it. This is my official plea to all the teams out there: You can run the ‘Tush Push’ just like we can.”

GETTY IMAGES: The Philadelphia Eagles’ QB sneak continues to cause controversy.

Here’s some other storylines from Wednesday’s locker room session:

New role for TE Cameron Latu

When responding to a question regarding newly minted fullback Cam Latu, head coach Nick Sirianni used the word ‘physical’ – or a variation – six times.

Sirianni, who referred to Latu, a tight end by trade, as a “physical dude,” lauded the third-year pro for his size, strength and special teams acumen.

“There’s always room for guys that play with that physicality on a football team,” Sirianni said. “I always love those guys that play like that, and he’s doing a nice job.”

Last Sunday proved to be a long time coming for Latu, drafted in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. He’d missed his rookie season due to an injury and last season spent time on the Browns’ practice squad.

But in Philadelphia, in the wake of losing fullback/special teams ace Ben VanSumeren to a season-ending injury, Latu appears to be carving out a niche.

Early last week, the Alabama product saw his jersey number change from No. 87 to No. 36, indicating that the wheels were in motion to accentuate his physicality and blocking prowess. By Saturday afternoon, Latu was designated as one of the team’s two practice squad elevations.

Leading up to his NFL debut, he was fixated on a primary objective.

“I just wanted to be as physical as possible,” he said. “Play fast, but just be extremely physical, because I knew all my assignments were putting my hat on somebody’s hat. Like, putting my face in somebody’s face. Just, like, crash out. For real. That’s really what my job was, and I took it to heart, and I tried to go play fast.”

In total, Latu combined for 21 snaps, including 15 on special teams. His special teams experience had been limited over the years, having played on punt return and kickoff early in his Alabama career before evolving into an offensive mainstay.

But this summer, during preseason play, Latu continued to deliver for the third phase, his physicality and relentless effort soon revealing itself.

Against the Chiefs, Latu played just six offensive snaps, though one block proved to be particularly noteworthy. Up three in the fourth quarter and looking for more, Latu took the field on a 2nd-and-5 at the Kansas City 5-yard line. He motioned to the left of the formation before surging forward with a full head of steam.

In his sight was Chiefs pass rusher Charles Omenihu, whom Latu drove off the ball and into the end zone. Running back Saquon Barkley picked up four yards on the carry, and two plays later, the Eagles’ extended the lead to 10, following a Jalen Hurts plunge up the middle.

As for Sirianni’s endorsement, that wasn’t lost on Latu. Still, the 25-year-old has been around long enough to experience the fickle nature of the NFL. He quickly shifted away from the praise, instead conveying a focus and resolve to go do it all over again.

“It’s always good to have a coach that believes in you,” he said. “I appreciate coach for saying that. I still got more to prove for myself. Last week happened, but I gotta go do it again, and again, and again. That’s just the starting point. I set an expectation for myself, now I gotta go do it again and again. But it’s always uplifting to hear your coach talk positive about you, so I do appreciate that.”

LS Charley Hughlett talks penalty, kicking operation

Trailing by three with two seconds remaining until the break, Eagles kicker Jake Elliott took the field, ahead of what was originally supposed to be a 53-yard field goal attempt.

But in a bizarre twist, an infraction was called on long-snapper Charley Hughlett for apparently moving the football, issuing Elliott a five-yard disadvantage. The 58-yard attempt was true, but for a veteran like Hughlett, the infraction piqued my curiosity, days after the fact. What explanation did he receive? When could he have done differently?

“They just said I moved the ball forward,” he explained. “I mean, watching it on film, it looked like I was just doing what I’ve been doing the last ten years, to be honest with you. So, not a whole lot that I’m thinking about in terms of feedback that they gave me. They just simply said I moved the ball forward. Like I said, I was just working through my normal process, like I always do.

“Truthfully, when I heard the whistle blow, I thought [the Chiefs] were icing us or something. So, I was a little shocked whenever I heard that there was a false start flag on me. I’ll continue to kind of just do my thing, until I get more feedback that I need to stop doing something in particular, which I haven’t gotten yet.”

Special teams coordinator Michael Clay, who this week conveyed an importance of abiding by the rules, also said he didn’t see anything “too out of this world.” He noted Hughlett’s ability to correct the perceived miscue, as evidenced on the Elliott 51-yard field goal in the second half.

It’s worth mentioning the new-look operation, which also includes P/holder Braden Mann, has gotten off without a hitch. Elliott is 3-for-3 on field goals of 50 yards or more through two games, with a long of 58 yards, and is perfect on his point after attempts. Hughlett, who signed this offseason to replace long-time snapper Rick Lovato, pointed to his timing with Elliott that’s helped revive the operation.

“It’s mainly just a timing thing,” he explained. “Making sure I’m comfortable with his rhythm. It’s really more for me to come and adjust to his rhythm. You want the kicker to be as comfortable as possible. And so, it’s really just about when he’s ready for that snap to come, and learning the timing and learning when I need to get my hands on the ball, so that I’m not sitting down there forever and I’m also not getting down there and it’s like, ‘Oh, crap,’ we’re ready to go. That’s really all it’s about, just figuring that timing out and learning our cadence, which is a little bit different. But that takes a day to figure out.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.