‘Automatic’ Philadelphia Eagles’ tush push needs to be banned, says veteran analyst
Philadelphia Eagles used the tush push to score the first points of Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Philadelphia Eagles used the 'tush push' to open the scoring in Super Bowl LIX (Image via NFL/X)
Last season, the most famous play in all of football was the ‘tush push’. The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense made their own version of the quarterback sneak and were so successful that it became unstoppable. They also used it in Super Bowl LIX to score the first points of the game.
The ease with which the Eagles’ offense uses it to cover first downs and touchdowns in the red zone saw many asking the NFL to ban the play. However, the league mentioned that just because the newest Super Bowl champions are good at it does not mean it should be banned.
This season, despite having essentially two new offensive linemen, the Eagles still used the ‘tush push’ to great effect. They claim it is not the play’s official name, as they used it to score the first points of Super Bowl LIX.
The Eagles version of the quarterback sneak is exclusive to them. Other teams, such as the Buffalo Bills, tried their own version in the AFC Championship game but failed. CBS analyst Jim Nantz who called out that failed Bills play was on What the Football with Suzy Shuster & Amy Trask podcast and talked about the situation.
I’m done with the tush push. I think it needs to go away. I know that’s a big part of the arsenal for the Eagles. I think it needs to change. I don’t like the play. It feels too automatic. It just doesn’t feel like football to me.
Jim Nantz said
He knows that Philadelphia Eagles’ fans will ask why he wants to punish them. But he believes it is not a legitimate football play. Nantz believes it demoralizes opponents, and it could lead to a point in time where the team starts using it in other slightly longer yardage situations.
NFL should limit Philadelphia Eagles’ ‘tush push’
Jim Nantz understands there is a chance that the NFL will not ban the play. The fact that other teams have not been able to get it right is not the fault of the Philadelphia Eagles. But he believes the league should find ways to limit its use, as he said.
Maybe you could do something to phase it out a little bit and totally penalize it. Maybe it’s like coaches’ challenges. Maybe you get two a game, or one a game. Don’t take it completely away, but you have that in your hip pocket. And if you’re going to use it, you can use it twice in a game.
Jim Nantz said
This way Nantz believes the league can minimize its impact. The Eagles will then be forced to pick and choose when they can use the ‘tush push’. This way, opponents get a better chance of dealing with fourth and 1 or goal line stands where otherwise, they usually give up.
The Washington Commanders managed to stop the ‘tush push’ once in the NFC Championship game. It could be that the eventual Super Bowl LIX winners did not execute it properly. Or the Commanders caught a lucky break. Otherwise, as the CBS analyst mentioned, that play is near automatic.
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