WATCH: Eagles missed a home run ball to AJ Brown on the opening play vs. the Chiefs

The Eagles walked out of Kansas City with a gritty 20–17 win in a Super Bowl rematch, and while the storylines are going to focus on the uninspiring passing game, the lights out defense and the trenches, let’s not forget how close the Birds were to starting the game with a knockout punch.

On the very first offensive snap, Jalen Hurts was a missed block away from AJ Brown housing a deep touchdown. Honestly, if the Eagles had a healthy Dallas Goeder blocking on this one, we would all be talking about different game notes today.

WATCH: Eagles miss huge opening play opportunity

This is the only pass play called from pistol or under center out of 25 total pistol/UC plays. And if either TE can block the blitzing CB this is probably a TD to AJ Brown on the first snap. That's a really bad miss by Grant Calcaterra. pic.twitter.com/36aoJvie2f

— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) September 15, 2025

The Design Was There

This was the only pass play called from pistol or under center out of 25 total pistol/UC plays in the game. Kevin Patullo dialed up a beauty with an aggressive shot play designed to attack the Chiefs deep immediately.

It was there. If either tight end, Grant Calcaterra in particular, picks up the blitzing cornerback, Jalen Hurts has a clean pocket and AJ Brown is streaking free downfield. That’s seven points before Chiefs fans even found their seats.

Instead, the play was a dud. The missed block allowed pressure to blow the play up and a near disaster was avoided on a Hurts fumble.

That’s the razor-thin margin in football.

One whiffed block completely changes the arc of a game. Imagine the energy swing if Hurts drops back and hits AJ for a 60-yard touchdown bomb on the first play of the game.

Suddenly, it’s 7–0, the Chiefs are playing uphill, the Eagles’ offense is rolling with confidence, and the entire script is flipped before the first TV timeout.

Grant Calcaterra is going to want this one back, because it was set up perfectly. And he surely knows it too, as that Eagles film session, he is hopefully getting ripped up for it.

Credit to Kevin Patullo

You have to tip your cap to offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo for the design. For all the complaints about the Eagles’ offense looking stale through two weeks, he came out aggressive in this one. Going to AJ Brown on the opening snap is exactly the kind of tone-setter fans have been begging for.

It didn’t hit because of execution, not because of scheme. And that matters.

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