March 22, 2024
Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports
Jalen Hurts gets a first down on a tush push against the New York Giants on Christmas.
Two years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles put the league on notice.
Fast forward to this offseason and the famous – or infamous, depending on who you ask – “Tush Push” will remain. For the past two seasons, the NFL had no idea what to do with this innovative play. We heard rumors that the NFL Commish himself wanted this play out of the game. Well, that’s not the case. It’s here to stay.
But honestly, so what?
This “unstoppable” play run by the Eagles took over as their identity during their Super Bowl run, but did absolutely nothing amid last year’s collapse. Converting a short yardage play on fourth down, or a score from the 1 yard line didn’t help the Eagles bottom line. It was all dust in the wind during one of the most epic collapses we’ve seen by our beloved football team.
The “Brotherly Shove” is the most overrated play with the least amount of correlation to a team’s success, yet the entire league was out to stop it. It eventually was just another play in the playbook. Who knows how Kellen Moore will dial up plays knowing he has an “extra” down, but this should be the end of this discussion. There’s no more blood to be drawn from this rock.
The NFL no longer cares about this play, and has realized that it doesn’t change outcomes of games. While the league tries to define what a proper tackle is, they have determined the Tush Push doesn't add injuries. The fact that Jalen Hurts and the Eagles perfected it means far less now than when the team was winning games.
This wasn’t a secret weapon. It wasn't the team's identity during last year. It was simply an option in the playbook. We’ve seen other teams try to run it, some work, others don’t. But the Birds seem to run it better than anyone – a 90% success rate last year would indicate just that.
But truly, what does it even matter?
The back and forth about this play would lead people to believe that the Eagles are helpless without it. It’s a gimmick at this point, at least according to the NFL front office. Troy Vincent doused any hopes of other teams wanting to ban this, and glossed over the primary injury concerns. Clearly, there’s no unfair advantage for a team running this, at the very least the fact that all teams can run it means it’s fair and balanced.
The team just inked Saquon Barkley to a hefty contract to run the ball. While Hurts is a tremendous option in the short yardage scenarios, Barkley is billed as one of the top backs in the NFL. Could he be in line for those short yardage touches now?
The Tush Push didn’t save the Eagles coaching staff from embarrassing performances at the end of the 2023 season, and it didn’t keep guys like Hassan Reddick from calling out the team. If anything, it probably expedited the retirement of Jason Kelce.
I couldn’t care less about this play’s existence, and neither should you. Demand the team go about their business like a winner and stop calling bad third down plays with the hopes of converting fourth and short. As much as this play helped the team two years ago, it was a side act during last year’s tailspin. If it truly mattered as much as defenders of the play proclaimed, we would have seen a different result from last year’s team.
I look forward to the team showcasing its offensive talents around Hurts, stretching the field and utilizing a new backfield addition in the passing game. The run game has no more excuses now, with the price tag associated with Barkley. The team added players on defense, two new coordinators, and whatever hope restored with Nick Sirianni.
Despite injury concerns and issues of competitive balance, the league simply told you to forget about the play. This is a league constantly running to trip over itself, especially under the guise of injury and player safety. The league didn’t do the Eagles any favors, they simply didn’t care enough.
That should be proof that coaching and execution matter more than gaining one or two yards.
Eytan Shander is a long time radio and TV personality in Philadelphia. In addition to his weekly column, you can currently listen and watch him on Fox29’s Good Day and other sports shows. He’s giving betting advice on OddsShopper. A lifetime Eagles fan, Eytan lives just outside the city with his wife.
Follow Eytan on Twitter: @shandershow
