Current:Home > BackEagles' Tush Push play is borderline unstoppable. Will it be banned next season?-LoTradeCoin
Eagles' Tush Push play is borderline unstoppable. Will it be banned next season?
View Date:2024-12-23 23:20:35
Whether you call it the "Tush Push" or "The Brotherly Shove," the Philadelphia Eagles' go-to fourth-and-inches play has been extremely successful and borderline unstoppable for the defending NFC Champions.
"Every first down is first-and-9," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said in October when asked about his team's Tush Push. "We have a lot of faith in that play."
In fact, the Eagles have the highest fourth-down conversion rate in the league this season and have converted 14-of-19 fourth-down attempts (73.68%) through Week 13. The play is particularly effective at the goal line: Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has recorded nine 1-yard rushing touchdowns so far this year.
Here's everything to know about the highly polarizing play:
What is a Tush Push?
The Tush Push is similar to the quarterback sneak. The quarterback lines up directly behind the center, but instead of the quarterback solely driving himself forward to gain yardage and move the sticks, as in a QB sneak, multiple players lined up behind the quarterback give him a push from behind to propel him forward.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Hence the name Tush Push.
How successful is the Tush Push?
The Tush Push has been borderline unstoppable for the Eagles. Everyone knows what's coming when Philadelphia needs to pick up a yard or two, but defenses haven't been able to effectively stop it.
Last season, the Eagles had a 93.5 percent success rate running the Tush Push, including six times for two touchdowns in their 38-35 Super Bowl 57 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, according to The Athletic.
It has been equally successful this year. The Eagles have converted a league-leading 73.68% fourth-down attempts (14-for-19) and average 22.8 first downs per game (second in the league) through Week 13. The Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are tied for second with 66.67%. The Arizona Cardinals have the worst fourth-conversion rate in the league at 32%.
Why is the Tush Push controversial?
Some critics argue the Tush Push isn't a football play, instead comparing it to a rugby play.
“It amounts to a rugby scrum," Fox rules analyst Dean Blandino said in February. "The NFL wants to showcase the athleticism and skill of our athletes. This is just not a skillful play. This is just a tactic that is not an aesthetically pleasing play, and I think the Competition Committee is going to take a look at it.’’
In September, Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio added: “I would personally like to see it eliminated, not just because they run it better than anybody — although they do run it better than anybody — but I don’t think that’s a football play. I think it’s a nice rugby play, and it’s not what we’re looking for in football."
Does the Tush Push require skill?
If this season has taught us anything, it's that the Tush Push is often imitated but hardly duplicated. Many teams across the league have attempted the play, but haven't had the same level of success as the Eagles. Some have even got hurt trying: The New York Giants lost two players in their Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks due to injuries sustained on a failed Tush Push.
"There’s clearly a talent to it that our guys have. Maybe it’s automatic right now for the Philadelphia Eagles, but it’s not automatic around the NFL," Sirianni said in September. He added a month later, “You've seen it across the league. People can’t do it like we do it. ... Don’t ban this play. If everybody could do it, everybody would do it."
Will the Tush Push be banned next season?
Rule changes normally happen in the offseason. The Competition Committee "reviews all competitive aspects of the game, including (but not limited to) playing rules, roster regulations, technology, game-day operations and player protection," according to NFL Football Operations. "A new rule or a revision must have the support of 75 percent of the owners (24 yes votes out of 32 clubs)."
Whether the Tush Push is banned or not next season, Eagles center Jason Kelce is "over" the debate. "Listen, ban it. I really, at this point, I don't care. I'm over the discussion about it," Kelce said on his shared "New Heights" podcast with brother Travis Kelce.
"We were really good at running the quarterback sneak before we did the push. I don't think that it's a necessary part for it. It certainly helps, there's no question about it," Kelce said. "I don't have the energy to care about whether it gets banned or not. We're gonna run it right now because we're good at it and it's effective. And whatever they do next season, we'll figure out a way to do something at a high level and make it effective."
veryGood! (7)
Related
- NCT DREAM enters the 'DREAMSCAPE': Members on new album, its concept and songwriting
- New Democratic minority leader in Georgia Senate promises strong push for policy goals
- AP photos show the terror of Southern California wildfires and the crushing aftermath
- Lawsuit filed over measure approved by Arkansas voters that revoked planned casino’s license
- Five best fits for Alex Bregman: Will Astros homegrown star leave as free agent?
- Pete Holmes, Judy Greer on their tears and nerves before 'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever'
- Trump has vowed to kill US offshore wind projects. Will he succeed?
- Democrat Andrea Salinas wins reelection in Oregon’s 6th District
- Jennifer Garner and Boyfriend John Miller Are All Smiles In Rare Public Outing
- 1 monkey recovered safely, 42 others remain on the run from South Carolina lab
Ranking
- 2 striking teacher unions in Massachusetts face growing fines for refusing to return to classroom
- Michigan jury awards millions to a woman fired after refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine
- See Michelle Yeoh Debut Blonde Bob at the Wicked's L.A. Premiere
- Community grieves 10-year-old student hit and killed by school bus in Missouri
- Watch out, Temu: Amazon Haul, Amazon's new discount store, is coming for the holidays
- Kevin Costner's dark 'Yellowstone' fate turns Beth Dutton into 'a hurricane'
- The Best Lipstick, Lip Gloss & Lip Stain for Every Zodiac Sign
- Florida men's basketball coach Todd Golden accused of sexual harassment in Title IX complaint
Recommendation
-
Colorado police shot, kill mountain lion after animal roamed on school's campus
-
How Wicked Director Jon M. Chu Joined L.A. Premiere From the Hospital as Wife Preps to Give Birth
-
S&P 500 and Nasdaq extend rally after Fed cuts rates and hints at more ahead. Dow ends flat
-
Messi, Inter Miami 'keeping calm' before decisive MLS playoff game vs. Atlanta United
-
Vogue Model Dynus Saxon Charged With Murder After Stabbing Attack
-
Ariana Grande's Parents Joan Grande and Edward Butera Support Her at Wicked Premiere
-
Obama relatives settle racial bias dispute with private school in Milwaukee
-
More than 500K space heaters sold on Amazon, TikTok recalled after 7 fires, injury