The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the most unstoppable plays in football, a play that teams have tried to get banned in the past to no avail. One team will attempt to get it banned this offseason, as the Green Bay Packers reportedly are the team that proposed to the NFL competition committee to ban the “Tush Push.”
The “Tush Push” has been the signature play of the Eagles’ run over the last three seasons, which has resulted in a Super Bowl victory, two Super Bowl appearances, and 39 regular-season wins.
The play is still controversial, given the nature of its success. Defenses don’t have an answer for a quarterback being pushed into the end zone among a pile of massive offensive linemen and a yard to work with.
What is the “Tush Push” and why do the Eagles run it so well in the first place?
Explaining the ‘Tush Push’
In the “Tush Push,” the quarterback is pushed forward through the defensive line by players behind him. The running back and the tight end are lined up behind the quarterback and push the quarterback through the defensive line. The play is used in short-yardage and goal-line situations and has a very high success rate.
The play is more like a rugby scrum, and doesn’t necessarily showcase the skill set of the NFL athletes. The play is about execution, not being “aesthetically pleasing.”
The play has not been banned by the NFL, although there has been discussions on the topic over the last few seasons.
There was a rule change with the “Tush Push.” This season, players pushing the quarterback must stand at least 1 yard behind him. This change was made to prevent the players from immediately shoving the quarterback after the snap, which could further risk injury.
Why do the Eagles run the ‘Tush Push’ so well?
The Eagles aren’t successful at the ‘Tush Push” because Jalen Hurts knows how to drive his legs into the end zone. There is a combination of factors at play.
The “Tush Push” is designed for Hurts to go behind left tackle Jordan Mailata (365 pounds) and left guard Landon Dickerson (332 pounds), two of the biggest players at their respective positions in the league. Hurts goes to his left behind Mailata and Dickerson and their 697 pounds, while Hurts squats 600 pounds himself. Add in center Cam Jurgens and his 303 pounds and this is a tough combination to stop.
“It’s like a truck with four-wheel drive,” Jurgens said. “If something goes wrong, like a flat tire or this or that it’s not gonna work. It’s all of us moving together in unison.”
The Eagles have an incredible percentage at executing the play. Philadelphia was 39 of 48 converting the “Tush Push” into a first down or touchdown this season (including playoffs). Of the nine times they failed, the Eagles followed with a first down or touchdown on the next play using a “Tush Push “eight times (including two via defensive offside on a “Tush Push” formation).
The only time the “Tush pPush” was truly stopped was after an aborted snap in Week 1 where they kicked a field goal on the next play. That was Jurgens’ first start at center in NFL after Jason Kelce retired.
“They can’t stop it and they can’t do it,” Jurgens said. “I think if everybody could do it, no one would want to ban it. Just about two teams can do it at the clip we can.”
How do other teams fare?
The Eagles aren’t the only team that’s had success converting quarterback sneaks in 2024. The Buffalo Bills were 29 of 37 on quarterback sneaks (78.4%), including the playoffs. Buffalo ran the sneak 37 times, second behind Philadelphia.
The Cleveland browns were 11 of 12 on quarterback sneaks (91.7%) while the Dallas Cowboys were 9 of 10 (90%). The Green Bay Packers were 8 of 8 (100%).
Banning the “Tush Push” won’t stop the Eagles, but ends a creative way for the Eagles to gain a yard. Philadelphia will still be good at the quarterback sneak.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
MLB playoffs 2025: Shohei Ohtani delivers masterful outing on the mound in Dodgers’ NLDS Game 1 vs. Phillies
PHILADELPHIA — Once again, somehow, Shohei Ohtani delivered a baseball first.Since making his MLB debut in 2018, the two-way Japanese unicorn has clubbed 280 home runs, stolen 165 bases and made 100 starts as a pitcher. Along the way, he has reshaped the sport itself, raising, reraising and then shattering our collective expectations for what a ballplayer can do. He closed out the World Baseball Classic by striking out Mike Trout. He went 50-50. He won a World Series in his first trip to October.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut on Saturday night at the Philadelphia Loud House known as Citizens Bank Park, Ohtani broke new ground yet again by making his first career postseason start on the mound.Ohtani exited the game after six frames with a line that undersells just how dominant he looked in October outing No. 1: 3 runs, 3 hits, 9 […]
Rick Neuheisel celebrates son’s playcalling debut during UCLA’s upset of Penn State: ‘My dad goggles were on big time today’
It was a pretty special day for the Neuheisel family on Saturday.The UCLA Bruins upset the No. 7-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions 42-37, thanks in part to the offensive playcalling of Jerry Neuheisel.The win at the Rose Bowl was the Bruins' first of the season and the biggest upset of the college football schedule to date. UCLA's offense made Neuheisel proud with 446 total yards — 280 coming on the ground.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]The game was broadcast on CBS and in the network's college football studio watching on was Neuheisel's dad, Rick, a former UCLA player himself and longtime coach of Colorado and Washington.CBS caught Rick's reaction to the game's final play, which secured the victory for the Bruins.The CBS studio crew couldn't help but be happy for Rick, who got emotional when […]
MLB playoffs 2025: Vlad Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays set the tone with commanding ALDS Game 1 win over Yankees
This is what it was always supposed to look like.Vladimir Guerrero Jr. unleashing his powerful, picturesque, right-handed swing and connecting with precision, sending a ball soaring toward the outfield seats at a packed Rogers Centre in October.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s a sight more than a decade in the making — and one that finally came to fruition in the first inning of ALDS Game 1 on Saturday in Toronto, where Guerrero smashed a solo home run to set the tone and open the scoring en route to a commanding, 10-1 Blue Jays victory over the New York Yankees.It wasn’t all that long ago that a moment like this seemed out of reach. Earlier this year, many wondered if Guerrero was preparing for his final season as a Blue Jay, with a lucrative free agency awaiting following the season. But after months of negotiations, […]
Winners and losers: Arch Manning and Texas flirting with playoff disaster now, and Penn State is right there with them
Were the playoff hopes of Penn State and Texas dealt a fatal blow on Saturday?The No. 7 Nittany Lions fell behind by 20 in the first half on the way to a 42-37 upset loss at previously winless UCLA while No. 9 Texas lost 29-21 at Florida as the Gators snapped a three-game losing streak.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTexas and Penn State entered the season as the top two teams in the preseason AP Top 25. Texas was ranked No. 1 before the season for the first time in school history while Penn State opened in the top two for the first time since it was No. 1 start the 1997 season.Now, both teams may need to win out simply to have a chance at the playoff.We’ll start with Penn State, who suffered the biggest upset of the season by a significant margin. The […]
Brewers’ NLDS Game 1 Win Over Cubs Tempered by Jackson Chourio’s New Injury
Another clutch playoff performance by Jackson Chourio had a concerning conclusion for the outfielder and the Milwaukee Brewers.After becoming the first player to collect three hits in the first two innings of a postseason game, Chourio left Saturday’s 9-3 NL Division Series victory over the Chicago Cubs with tightness in his right hamstring.Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after Game 1 that Chourio had undergone an MRI. Chourio missed a month during the regular season with an injury to the same hamstring."They haven’t said anything," Chourio said through an interpreter. "We’re still waiting. But physically I feel good, and I feel in a position where I’m ready to keep going and keep competing."Murphy didn’t sound as optimistic."Obviously it’s real scary," he said. "Having that same hamstring injury to the same leg, we’re hoping that it’s something he can come back from […]
Can Billy Napier save his job again? Upset win over Texas a good start as Florida offense shows signs of life
Florida coach Billy Napier operates best with his back against the wall. For a second straight year, his Gators looked dead in the water before the midway point of the season. And, for a second straight year, Napier might be on the path back to redemption after Florida notched its second win of the season in a stunning 29-21 upset of No. 9 Texas. At the very least, his seat has cooled for another week. It's a movie that Florida fans have seen before. Fresh off a losing season in 2023, Florida started 4-4 in 2024, including a 13-point loss to unranked Texas A&M, a 24-point loss to Miami and a 14-point loss to Georgia. But just days after that loss to Georgia, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin reaffirmed his faith in his embattled football coach. A rejuvenated Napier led Florida to a […]
Related
MLB playoffs 2025: Shohei Ohtani delivers masterful outing on the mound in Dodgers’ NLDS Game 1 vs. Phillies
PHILADELPHIA — Once again, somehow, Shohei Ohtani delivered a baseball first.Since making his MLB debut in 2018, the two-way Japanese unicorn has clubbed 280 home runs, stolen 165 bases and made 100 starts as a pitcher. Along the way, he has reshaped the sport itself, raising, reraising and then shattering our collective expectations for what a ballplayer can do. He closed out the World Baseball Classic by striking out Mike Trout. He went 50-50. He won a World Series in his first trip to October.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut on Saturday night at the Philadelphia Loud House known as Citizens Bank Park, Ohtani broke new ground yet again by making his first career postseason start on the mound.Ohtani exited the game after six frames with a line that undersells just how dominant he looked in October outing No. 1: 3 runs, 3 hits, 9 […]
Rick Neuheisel celebrates son’s playcalling debut during UCLA’s upset of Penn State: ‘My dad goggles were on big time today’
It was a pretty special day for the Neuheisel family on Saturday.The UCLA Bruins upset the No. 7-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions 42-37, thanks in part to the offensive playcalling of Jerry Neuheisel.The win at the Rose Bowl was the Bruins' first of the season and the biggest upset of the college football schedule to date. UCLA's offense made Neuheisel proud with 446 total yards — 280 coming on the ground.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]The game was broadcast on CBS and in the network's college football studio watching on was Neuheisel's dad, Rick, a former UCLA player himself and longtime coach of Colorado and Washington.CBS caught Rick's reaction to the game's final play, which secured the victory for the Bruins.The CBS studio crew couldn't help but be happy for Rick, who got emotional when […]
MLB playoffs 2025: Vlad Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays set the tone with commanding ALDS Game 1 win over Yankees
This is what it was always supposed to look like.Vladimir Guerrero Jr. unleashing his powerful, picturesque, right-handed swing and connecting with precision, sending a ball soaring toward the outfield seats at a packed Rogers Centre in October.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s a sight more than a decade in the making — and one that finally came to fruition in the first inning of ALDS Game 1 on Saturday in Toronto, where Guerrero smashed a solo home run to set the tone and open the scoring en route to a commanding, 10-1 Blue Jays victory over the New York Yankees.It wasn’t all that long ago that a moment like this seemed out of reach. Earlier this year, many wondered if Guerrero was preparing for his final season as a Blue Jay, with a lucrative free agency awaiting following the season. But after months of negotiations, […]
Winners and losers: Arch Manning and Texas flirting with playoff disaster now, and Penn State is right there with them
Were the playoff hopes of Penn State and Texas dealt a fatal blow on Saturday?The No. 7 Nittany Lions fell behind by 20 in the first half on the way to a 42-37 upset loss at previously winless UCLA while No. 9 Texas lost 29-21 at Florida as the Gators snapped a three-game losing streak.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTexas and Penn State entered the season as the top two teams in the preseason AP Top 25. Texas was ranked No. 1 before the season for the first time in school history while Penn State opened in the top two for the first time since it was No. 1 start the 1997 season.Now, both teams may need to win out simply to have a chance at the playoff.We’ll start with Penn State, who suffered the biggest upset of the season by a significant margin. The […]
Brewers’ NLDS Game 1 Win Over Cubs Tempered by Jackson Chourio’s New Injury
Another clutch playoff performance by Jackson Chourio had a concerning conclusion for the outfielder and the Milwaukee Brewers.After becoming the first player to collect three hits in the first two innings of a postseason game, Chourio left Saturday’s 9-3 NL Division Series victory over the Chicago Cubs with tightness in his right hamstring.Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after Game 1 that Chourio had undergone an MRI. Chourio missed a month during the regular season with an injury to the same hamstring."They haven’t said anything," Chourio said through an interpreter. "We’re still waiting. But physically I feel good, and I feel in a position where I’m ready to keep going and keep competing."Murphy didn’t sound as optimistic."Obviously it’s real scary," he said. "Having that same hamstring injury to the same leg, we’re hoping that it’s something he can come back from […]
Can Billy Napier save his job again? Upset win over Texas a good start as Florida offense shows signs of life
Florida coach Billy Napier operates best with his back against the wall. For a second straight year, his Gators looked dead in the water before the midway point of the season. And, for a second straight year, Napier might be on the path back to redemption after Florida notched its second win of the season in a stunning 29-21 upset of No. 9 Texas. At the very least, his seat has cooled for another week. It's a movie that Florida fans have seen before. Fresh off a losing season in 2023, Florida started 4-4 in 2024, including a 13-point loss to unranked Texas A&M, a 24-point loss to Miami and a 14-point loss to Georgia. But just days after that loss to Georgia, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin reaffirmed his faith in his embattled football coach. A rejuvenated Napier led Florida to a […]
Be the first to leave a comment