As the Philadelphia Eagles head into the playoffs, the fan base is wondering what they’ll see from offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo's unit. This season, the Eagles’ offense has not been fun to watch due to playcalling and execution at various points, making it clear that winning another Super Bowl won't be easy if the status quo remains.
The running game has been under the microscope this season, with Saquon Barkley averaging 4.1 yards per carry, which is significantly lower than what he did in 2024 (5.8). One of the issues with the run game has been the performance of backup tight end Grant Calcaterra.
Calcaterra has been a huge topic of discussion throughout the season due to his rough blocking skills. But for some reason, the Eagles refuse to make a change. On Sunday, the Eagles leaned on Calcaterra as the TE1, where he had two receptions for 21 yards, including a 15-yard TD.
However, Calcaterra suffered knee/ankle injuries on what could’ve been deemed a hip drop tackle. We don’t know much else about Calcaterra’s status heading into the Eagles’ wildcard game, but if he’s not 100%, Philly might be forced to lean more on Cameron Latu.
Eagles Might Need to Make Grant Calcaterra-Cameron Latu Switch for Playoffs
If you asked Eagles fans who they would rather see on the field between Latu and Calcaterra, most, if not all, will say Latu.
When Latu is on the field, the Eagles’ running game looks much better as Calcaterra struggles to do the basic things like being a puller, as Eagles Pin-Pull's Shane Haff pointed out in a clip from the Eagles’ Week 16 win over the Commanders.
As we saw in Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills, the Eagles were averaging 5.4 yards per carry on the five running plays on which Latu was the blocker, per Anthony DiBona of the Philly Special Show. But in the other 21 running plays where Latu was not the blocker, the Eagles only averaged 2.6 yards per carry and racked up 55 yards on the ground. Latu is a difference-maker in the ground game.
That said, when Latu is on the field, most teams know what is coming, which is a failure on the part of Patullo by not mixing things up and being creative with his playcalling. Before he was converted to a fullback with the Eagles, Latu was a tight end in college and to begin his NFL career, so catching the ball is not a foreign concept.
Therefore, if you’re Patullo, why not try to call a passing play for Latu sometimes to give the defense something else to think about? As most Eagles fans know, though, Patullo doesn't always do what makes the most sense.
Since the Eagles don’t play until Sunday, we won’t have an initial injury report on Calcaterra until Wednesday. However, if he were to miss any time or be limited, the Eagles might need to have a backup plan, aka more Latu.