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No more "Tush Push" for the Philadelphia Eagles?
A possible ban on the controversial short-yardage play might hit the NFL this week, according to media reports.
On Monday, May 19, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that NFL owners are scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday in Minneapolis to vote on a possible ban on the play.
The play has been used by great success by the reigning Super Bowl over the last few seasons.
Here's some background on the play:
The "Tush Push," or whatever the Eagles call it, is a short-yardage football play where the quarterback takes the snap and lunges forward. Two players push him from behind, helping him advance the ball.
The play is incredibly successful for the Eagles on the goal line or when the team needs a single yard for a first down.
The Eagles converted 70% of their fourth-down attempts last season, best in the NFL. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who squats 600 pounds, has rushed for the vast majority of his 29 touchdowns the past two seasons because of that play.
The Green Bay Packers' proposal to ban the play, forbidding the "immediate" pushing of the player behind center taking the snap, was tabled in April for further discussion until the NFL owners' next meeting in May.
For the Packers' measure to pass, 24 of the NFL's 32 owners, or 75%, had to vote to approve the ban. The Eagles needed only nine votes to keep the play in place.
Rich McKay, the chairman of the NFL's competition committee, said at the time that owners discussed the proposal for about 40 minutes, and that more discussion was needed. While many owners had questions about the injury risk, McKay said others questioned whether it was a football play, among other areas of concern.
Green Bay used the Eagles' play twice against the Birds, using their tight end Tucker Kraft as the pusher. The Packers were successful both times.
However, Green Bay did have some problems against the Atlanta Falcons.
At first, the safety of the play was the sticking point for some teams, such as Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott. The Bills and Eagles used the play more than the other 30 teams combined, according to ESPN research.
But when NFL owners tabled the vote, mainly because the Packers couldn't get the required 75%, or 24 of the 32 owners, to approve the ban, other factors were brought up. That included whether it's a legitimate football play, with the Packers even discussing whether they can bring back the rule the NFL had until 2004, where no pushing is allowed.
'No reason to ban' Tush Push: Eagles' Jeffrey Lurie has harsh words for play's detractors
Eagles 2025 schedule: A Monday night game vs Green Bay Packers, who want to ban 'Tush Push'
After an initial rules tabled a vote, Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie scoffed at a possible ban.
On the injury factor, Lurie said: "I want to know what data there is. I don’t think there is any. If you want to say that it could be, it’s hard to make rules on could bes and should bes. ... We will always, always support what is safer for the players. It’s a no-brainer. If this is proven to be less safe for the players, we will be against the Tush Push.
"But until that’s the case, to me, there’d be no reason to ban this play."
In fact, Lurie said the actual quarterback sneak, with no pushing, and something the Packers' proposal doesn't address, is more dangerous than the Tush Push.
Lurie did not cite evidence to back it up. But the NFL's own study showed that no injuries resulted from the play last season.
"We feel it’s safer play than a quarterback sneak," Lurie said. "If you talk to quarterbacks about it, there’s more spearing going on (during the QB sneak), they’re less protected by players around them. One of the reasons we got motivated to develop an expertise in this play is it was more protective to the quarterback.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni also pushed back on the injury premise early this spring.
"I know what the data says, and I know how we coach it," Sirianni said. "We don’t coach a push play any differently than we coach a quarterback sneak play. So, again, the injury data says what it says. And we coach it the exact same way whether somebody’s pushing, or whether somebody’s not pushing. And that play has been in − I think somebody (Packers CEO Mark Murphy) said something about Bart Starr running the (quarterback sneak) a long time ago (in the 1960s)."
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles' 'Tush Push' ban set for vote by NFL owners this week
Continue reading...
A possible ban on the controversial short-yardage play might hit the NFL this week, according to media reports.
On Monday, May 19, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that NFL owners are scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday in Minneapolis to vote on a possible ban on the play.
The play has been used by great success by the reigning Super Bowl over the last few seasons.
Here's some background on the play:
What is the 'Tush Push'?
The "Tush Push," or whatever the Eagles call it, is a short-yardage football play where the quarterback takes the snap and lunges forward. Two players push him from behind, helping him advance the ball.
The play is incredibly successful for the Eagles on the goal line or when the team needs a single yard for a first down.
The Eagles converted 70% of their fourth-down attempts last season, best in the NFL. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who squats 600 pounds, has rushed for the vast majority of his 29 touchdowns the past two seasons because of that play.
Green Bay Packers propose 'Tush Push' ban
The Green Bay Packers' proposal to ban the play, forbidding the "immediate" pushing of the player behind center taking the snap, was tabled in April for further discussion until the NFL owners' next meeting in May.
For the Packers' measure to pass, 24 of the NFL's 32 owners, or 75%, had to vote to approve the ban. The Eagles needed only nine votes to keep the play in place.
Rich McKay, the chairman of the NFL's competition committee, said at the time that owners discussed the proposal for about 40 minutes, and that more discussion was needed. While many owners had questions about the injury risk, McKay said others questioned whether it was a football play, among other areas of concern.
Have the Packers run the 'Tush Push'?
Green Bay used the Eagles' play twice against the Birds, using their tight end Tucker Kraft as the pusher. The Packers were successful both times.
However, Green Bay did have some problems against the Atlanta Falcons.
NFL reaction to possible 'Tush Push' ban
At first, the safety of the play was the sticking point for some teams, such as Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott. The Bills and Eagles used the play more than the other 30 teams combined, according to ESPN research.
But when NFL owners tabled the vote, mainly because the Packers couldn't get the required 75%, or 24 of the 32 owners, to approve the ban, other factors were brought up. That included whether it's a legitimate football play, with the Packers even discussing whether they can bring back the rule the NFL had until 2004, where no pushing is allowed.
'No reason to ban' Tush Push: Eagles' Jeffrey Lurie has harsh words for play's detractors
Eagles 2025 schedule: A Monday night game vs Green Bay Packers, who want to ban 'Tush Push'
Eagles reaction to possible 'Tush Push' ban
After an initial rules tabled a vote, Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie scoffed at a possible ban.
On the injury factor, Lurie said: "I want to know what data there is. I don’t think there is any. If you want to say that it could be, it’s hard to make rules on could bes and should bes. ... We will always, always support what is safer for the players. It’s a no-brainer. If this is proven to be less safe for the players, we will be against the Tush Push.
"But until that’s the case, to me, there’d be no reason to ban this play."
In fact, Lurie said the actual quarterback sneak, with no pushing, and something the Packers' proposal doesn't address, is more dangerous than the Tush Push.
Lurie did not cite evidence to back it up. But the NFL's own study showed that no injuries resulted from the play last season.
"We feel it’s safer play than a quarterback sneak," Lurie said. "If you talk to quarterbacks about it, there’s more spearing going on (during the QB sneak), they’re less protected by players around them. One of the reasons we got motivated to develop an expertise in this play is it was more protective to the quarterback.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni also pushed back on the injury premise early this spring.
"I know what the data says, and I know how we coach it," Sirianni said. "We don’t coach a push play any differently than we coach a quarterback sneak play. So, again, the injury data says what it says. And we coach it the exact same way whether somebody’s pushing, or whether somebody’s not pushing. And that play has been in − I think somebody (Packers CEO Mark Murphy) said something about Bart Starr running the (quarterback sneak) a long time ago (in the 1960s)."
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Eagles' 'Tush Push' ban set for vote by NFL owners this week
Continue reading...
