Every time the Philadelphia Eagles run the Tush Push, they seem to set conversation alight. With every first down and every touchdown, the play seems to grow more polarizing. The folks in Philly love the play, as you can imagine.
But it’s less popular in other parts of the country, particularly with the NFL’s other 31 fan bases. And there is grounds — from officiating difficulties to competitive fairness to health and safety — to get rid of the play. But are any of those reasons compelling enough to flip votes — a proposal to ban the play fell two votes short of passing last offseason — at the next owners’ meeting?
FOX Sports NFL writers Henry McKenna and Ralph Vacchiano dive into and debate the merits of the Tush Push.
Moderator: What did you think about the sequence in Week 8 where Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, seemingly in mid-Tush Push, was ruled down by forward progress before fumbling the ball to the New York Giants?
Vacchiano: Well, clearly the officials blew that one. Kayvon Thibodeaux stripped the ball fair and square, and before anyone could reasonably think Hurts’ forward progress had stopped. It should have been Giants ball. But I blame that on the officials, not any of the mechanics of the play.
McKenna: Yup, it was yet another example of officials struggling to officiate this unique play. And this instance of the Tush Push will go into the now-growing list of examples of where the play appears beyond the control of officials.
Vacchiano: In fairness, that was one of the worst officiated games I’ve ever seen. They blew a lot more than just the Tush Push.
McKenna: Sure, but even if the game itself is an outlier, we’re starting to see every officiating crew struggle with the Tush Push. And not just in one way.
The Giants appeared to strip Jalen Hurts during a Tush Push in Week 8, but the play was called dead before the turnover. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Why do you think there seem to be more officiating errors involving the Tush Push this season?
Vacchiano: I’m not sure there are, but I think we’re paying more attention to it. Since it was almost banned in the offseason, people are really scrutinizing it. The networks are making sure to zoom in and look for the flaws — particularly the “false starts.” I’m not saying there’s not an issue, but we’re certainly looking for issues more than ever.
McKenna: Honestly, I think it might not even be that there are more errors this year. I think it’s the heightened scrutiny around the play. People are looking for reasons to get rid of it. These errors (which favor the Eagles) are convenient for the 31 teams who don’t benefit from the Tush Push.
Ultimately, the play is difficult to officiate because of the increased urgency to stop it. Everyone knows it’s coming. So opponents are crowding the line more than ever. They’re lying down in front of the center?! (Like the Vikings did.) They’re willing to cheat because they feel like the play itself is a cheat, particularly when the Eagles are breaking the rules.
Vacchiano: Sounds to me like a problem with the quality of officials and with opposing defenses that have no answers — not a problem with the play itself. Yet everyone wants to ban it.
While the Giants have had a bit more success than other clubs this season in stopping the Tush Push, the play continues to be highly effective for the Eagles. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Have your feelings about the play changed at all since it first became prevalent a few years ago?
McKenna: Yes, in a big way. When the league voted this offseason, I thought it should stay. It seemed to me to be an ingenuity — a play that served as a reminder that the NFL could still innovate and find loopholes and get weird. I still respect the ingenuity of the play. But I also feel the play’s lifetime has run its course, because of these officiating issues.
Vacchiano: I have to admit that two weeks ago, when the Eagles ran it FOUR STRAIGHT TIMES against the Giants from the 3, I was questioning my support. But other than that, no. I thought it was brilliant when they first did it and I still can’t believe that years later nobody has figured out how to stop it. If opposing defenses spent more time on that instead of whining about it, maybe it wouldn’t be an issue at all.
McKenna: So, the crazy thing about this play is that … physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson said the play cannot be stopped. The physics of the play make it a winning play for the Eagles every time. And when I spoke to Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo, he said it couldn’t be stopped. There was no plan or practice that would stop it. That raises questions about competitive fairness. Now, that’s not why I believe the play should go. But it’s one of the many issues with the play.
Vacchiano: With all due respect to Dr. Tyson and Coach Spags, when the Eagles ran it four straight times against the Giants two weeks ago, the Giants stopped it twice. And if the officials had called Hurts’ fumble for what it was, they stopped it again last week. So, I mean, if the NFL’s 29th-ranked defense can stop it …
McKenna: That’s not a fair sample size. We’re talking about a play that (excluding this year) had a conversion rate of 83%, per PFF research.
And again, I’m not even saying “fairness” provides grounds for removing the play. That’s the weakest case for removing it, because clearly the Eagles are simply better at it. And clearly the NFL is getting better at defending it. The first year Philly ran it, they did it with 93% efficiency.
The Eagles have effectively executed the Tush Push for a few years now, notably during two Super Bowl runs. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Ultimately, does the play need to be officiated better or simply outlawed? Or should there be an amendment?
McKenna: The NFL gives offense most advantages. That’s a part of the product: scoring. But this play is in its own stratosphere in terms of giving the offense an advantage. And as a source once told me about the Eagles, “They have obviously mastered it, but let’s not let them cheat at it at the same time.”
Vacchiano: So stop them from “cheating.” Don’t eliminate the play. I think banning it would be cowardly. Teams can’t figure out how to defend it and none of them can run it well themselves, so just outlaw it? So weak.
Better officiating is the obvious answer. Honestly, there’s no excuse for missing some of the false starts. If the cameras can see them, so can the refs. And that Hurts fumble was pretty clear to anyone watching. The officials just blew the play dead too quickly. There are challenges to officiating it, but so what? There are issues with officiating quarterback sneaks and deciding what a catch is, too.
McKenna: So, in my opinion, we’ve hit the core of the issue. Because I think you’ve forgotten an essential question, Ralph. Can the officials do a better and more consistent job with this play? How much better will it get? Because if you ask Dean Blandino, a former NFL VP of Officiating and FOX Sports analyst, he’ll tell you it’s not going to improve all that much. And that’s because of the way the Eagles run the Tush Push.
The Tush Push has been shrouded in even more controversy this season amid several instances in which the Eagles appeared to false start on the play. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vacchiano: Yeah, I think that’s a sad indictment of the officials, to be honest. The play isn’t complicated. Seeing the false starts — which don’t happen on every play, by the way — isn’t that difficult. Maybe finding the place where forward progress is stopped is hard, but how is it different from a QB sneak or inside run? Officiating football is complicated. Maybe the officials just need to be better at their jobs.
You want something complicated? Ban the Tush Push. Then try and decide whether a quarterback is being pushed in a pile of bodies on a QB sneak. That’s going to be impossible to sort out.
McKenna: I’m not sure that I agree there. I don’t think that’ll be hard to spot. Is a guy pushing the runner from behind? Yes? Flag. And, yeah, I agree that the Eagles can and should keep running a QB sneak if the ‘Push’ gets banned. But by getting rid of that element (which only came about in 2006 when they legalized this sort of play, accidentally), they’ve eliminated one of the complicated factors of officiating: the second surge. And they’ve probably made the play more safe.
Finally, do you think the Tush Push will be banned in the coming offseason?
Vacchiano: Yes. I think momentum has been heading in that direction for a while, and weak-minded owners are tired of seeing only one team succeed with it. If you can’t beat it, get rid of it. Isn’t that what they say?
McKenna: It all depends on the officials, honestly. Can they quickly get better at spotting these issues that are going viral and generating polarizing discussions? If they can, we won’t see these examples cropping up in December, January and maybe even February. If the officials continue to struggle, and we see their mistakes impacting games, then I think it’s out.
Vacchiano: By the way, if/when it is voted out, I’d bet the Eagles are still going to be the best short-yardage team in the league and their “regular” QB sneak will be close to unstoppable. Hurts and that line are just that good at it, even if they don’t get a push from the rear.
McKenna: See, that’s where we agree, Ralph. Which is why I think it’s perfectly fine to close the 2006 loophole. When they tweaked the rule about pushing a ball-carrier, they didn’t intend to give life to the Tush Push. Now that we’ve seen it in full force, NFL teams can close the loophole, like they’ve done in so many other examples.
Vacchiano: Or they could, you know, just stop it.
The Tush Push came two votes away from being banned this past offseason. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
McKenna: One thing we haven’t discussed is the question of health and safety. There isn’t any data to support the play being any more dangerous than a typical play.
But let’s use our eyes: it’s a truly brutal play. It’s awful to watch.
Loopholes can help determine which way the game develops and innovates. Is this really the way we want it to go? Back to the 1800s when football had similarities with rugby (and no forward pass)? I get that football is cyclical. But I’ll be honest, I don’t like the idea of this kind of play becoming more popular.
Vacchiano: I actually don’t think it’s more brutal than a quarterback sneak or short yardage run. And you’re right, so far no data has been presented to show it’s any more dangerous than any other play. The teams that run it don’t think it is, and the defensive players I’ve talked to can’t tell me how it’s more dangerous either.
If evidence comes up, I’ll rethink my position because I’m all for eliminating dangerous plays. But until that happens, let the pushing of the tush continue!
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
Before joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.
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