‘New Heights’ to host ‘belly bucking’ Black Friday tailgate; plus, why Jason Kelce remains confident in Eagles

Jason Kelce used the latest episode of his New Heights podcast to break down what went wrong for the Eagles on Sunday. After the Birds blew a 21-point lead to fall to the Cowboys, Kelce identified the core of the loss as a limited running game and crumbling second-half offense.

But alongside his brother, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, the former Eagles center also gave fans reason to be optimistic about the team’s potential in the latter part of the season. He also announced a free tailgate for fans before Friday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

Here’s what you missed …

Jason Kelce is hoping to stir the energy back up around the Birds before their game against the Bears with a Black Friday tailgate hosted by New Heights. The tailgate will begin at 11 a.m. in Lot K outside Lincoln Financial Field, with free admission for fans on a first-come, first-served basis.

And it sounds like it’s going to be a wild affair.

“I don’t know how many people we can admit or how many people will show up, but we do know we’re going to be drinking, eating, and having a gay old time,” Kelce said. “That’s right, we’ll have food, merch giveaways, photo booth, DJ, games — and of course a belly bucking competition! They’ve allowed us — I never thought legal would let this happen. Thank you to the legal team at Wondery.com and whoever is doing it on our behalf.

“We’ve already picked vetted contestants, so you can’t apply, but you can witness the festivities. If you want to see mostly fat guys rub bellies into each other to see who can win some type of prize that we have yet to determine, if you want to show up and see these bellies get bucked, show up in Lot K on Friday. … We’re going to have a [expletive] blast!“

What’s “belly bucking?” Good question …

When it came to breaking down the Eagles’ collapse on Sunday, Kelce largely blamed the offense’s inability to keep up with the Cowboys in the second half on a severely lacking running game.

» READ MORE: Banged-up offensive line and inability to run is ‘crippling this offense,’ according to former Eagles

Kelce pointed out how Lane Johnson’s absence has further hampered the Eagles’ ground attack. The veteran offensive tackle, who suffered a foot injury during the team’s Week 11 win over Detroit, is expected to be sidelined for several weeks.

“I know it’s very fashionable to blame Kevin Patullo and the play-calling, but the passing game felt like it was pretty good in this one,” Kelce said. “The thing that is really hurting this offense right now is the run game. It has not been clicking for the majority of the year. It’s multifaceted. The offensive line has been banged up, there’s been guys in and out. … It’s been hard to build cohesion as a unit.”

Kelce also addressed the self-inflicted wound of the Eagles’ pair of turnovers in the fourth quarter, granting the Cowboys ample opportunity to make a comeback.

“Outside of the run game, the ultimate thing that killed this team was … the turnovers at the end of the game, which were extremely costly,” Kelce said.

» READ MORE: Eagles will wear appropriate uniforms for Black Friday, ask fans to do the same

However, the former center attempted to quell some concerns by assuring that the offensive line will improve as the team adjusts from the injury misfortune.

“I think that this offensive line, as they continue to get the reps together, they will block better as a unit, and that will make a huge difference in the ways these plays get executed,” Kelce said. “I feel confident about the Eagles moving forward.”