Lengthy reside the tush push! The controversial play’s high moments

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  • Kalyn KahlerCould 21, 2025, 01:30 PM ET

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      Kalyn Kahler is a senior NFL author at ESPN. Kalyn reviews on a variety of NFL matters. She reported in regards to the affect of teaching brokers on NFL hiring and discovered what present and former Cowboys gamers actually take into consideration the tour teams of followers that roam about The Star day-after-day. Earlier than becoming a member of ESPN in July of 2024, Kalyn wrote for The Athletic, Defector, Bleacher Report and Sports activities Illustrated. She started her profession at Sports activities Illustrated as NFL columnist Peter King’s assistant. She is a graduate of Northwestern College, the place she was a varsity cheerleader. In her free time, Kalyn takes Spanish lessons and teaches Irish dance. You’ll be able to attain out to Kalyn by way of electronic mail.

BILL SNYDER DOESN’T perceive what all of the fuss is about.

The legendary Kansas State coach, 85 years previous and retired from teaching, cannot keep in mind precisely what the Wildcats known as the play as a result of it was simply an add-on to a sneak. He did not — and nonetheless does not — suppose it was very progressive or artistic.

“It was only a pure factor to do,” he advised ESPN of the play that might change into often known as the “tush push” and ultimately encourage a raging NFL-wide debate. “We have to create a means during which we may take the shortest distance to get the brief distance we would have liked to go and never get held up, as a result of all people put all of the folks over there, so we wished to compete in opposition to irrespective of how many individuals you place there. We wished to be sturdy sufficient to not get held up on the line of scrimmage. And we’d carry one or two, or once in a while, three backs up proper off of the hip of the middle, and on the snap of the ball, we’d push the middle or push the again of the quarterback.”

Snyder mentioned he is not conscious of anybody operating the play earlier than his Wildcats groups, who added the play quickly after 2013, when pushing grew to become authorized in faculty soccer. His offensive coordinator, Dana Dimel, took the idea with him to UTEP when he grew to become head coach there in 2018 and experimented with operating faux sneaks off of it. (Dimel died in 2023.) Snyder mentioned that typically opposing coaches would complain to officers throughout video games however that it by no means went additional than that as a result of the play was inside the guidelines. He mentioned he has by no means heard from any NFL coaches about it. He is unsure the Eagles even knew he was operating the play years earlier than they have been, and he actually does not imagine it was particular sufficient to warrant such consideration.

“It was like another play,” Snyder mentioned. “It was only a play in our repertoire, and that is what we did on sure events, and we did not deal with it any in a different way than another play that we had.”

However that is not how the league workplace or a majority of NFL homeowners have a look at the play. For cited causes together with well being and security and tempo of play, a big group of groups that believes pushing has no place in soccer tried to ban the tush push. These efforts got here up brief, with 10 groups voting down the efforts to ban it Wednesday.

Though what was seemingly the primary tush push occurred in Manhattan, Kansas, Eagles coach and former Colts OC Nick Sirianni has credited Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, former Colts head coach and Eagles assistant Frank Reich, and quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Jacoby Brissett for uplifting the play. Although almost each staff within the NFL has run it, the Eagles are the face of the play (or maybe the tush of it). It was Philadelphia that ran what some believed could be the ultimate such play in its Tremendous Bowl LIX win over the Chiefs — the staff’s first landing of the sport — when Jalen Hurts powered his means into the Caesars Superdome finish zone.

When requested in March how he would really feel if he ended up being the final coach to name a tush push, Saints coach and former Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore mentioned: “Give credit score to Jalen and all these guys for making a play that somebody determined we’re simply going to make a rule as much as cease it. “

Ultimately, an impossible-to-stop play remained unimaginable to cease, even for the league workplace and a convention room full of homeowners.

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Saquon Barkley to tush push critics: ‘Get higher at stopping it’

Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley discusses the tush push debate earlier than this yr’s Met Gala.

IN THE THREE-ISH-YEAR NFL lifespan of the play, 28 of 32 groups have run a variation of it. The one 4 golf equipment which have by no means pushed the participant taking the direct snap on a sneak are ones which have smaller or probably extra fragile quarterbacks — Miami, Carolina and Washington, plus New Orleans, which has a dynamic backup in Taysom Hill together with his personal short-yardage packages.

Not each push sneak is made equal (some function a really late and sure incidental push from a operating again out of the I-formation), and there’s no particular stat accessible to ESPN to filter for the distinct formation that we acknowledge because the Eagles tush push, the place the offensive line is crouched low to the bottom and the operating backs, tight ends or receivers cluster on both sides of the quarterback or behind him in a tripod form. So ESPN’s push sneak numbers replicate all types of sneaks the place the participant taking the direct snap below heart is pushed by one other participant at any level.

Since 2022, 12 groups have scored touchdowns utilizing the tush push. Philadelphia has run extra tush pushes than another staff (124 for 106 first downs and 33 touchdowns, almost twice the variety of push sneaks because the Payments, the staff with the second most) and transformed 85.5% of them, however Buffalo has a greater first-down success price than the Eagles, and has transformed 88.2% (60 of 68 makes an attempt) for first downs.

Although no different staff has come near operating the play as a lot because the Eagles, Philadelphia’s success with the tush push coincided with a leaguewide enhance in quarterback sneaks.

In 2016, the primary yr ESPN began monitoring quarterback sneaks, there have been 109 sneaks. By 2020, that quantity had doubled to 234, and by 2023, the yr after the Eagles ramped up their very own sneak utilization and leaned into the tush push, the leaguewide sneak utilization plateaued at triple the 2016 quantity: 341 sneaks.

Even when handed, the proposal would not have prevented the quarterback sneak, simply the pushing facet, and, because the Eagles mentioned a number of instances throughout their advocacy for this play at league conferences this offseason, their success price has really been increased on sneaks with out pushing.

In line with ESPN knowledge, which has recognized push sneaks because the 2022 season, the Eagles have run solely six common non-push sneaks within the final three seasons, in contrast with 124 push sneaks.

Their success price on common sneaks is 83.3%, 2.3 proportion factors decrease than their success price when pushing.

Lament the continued legality of the tush push in the event you should, or select to have a good time its greatest qualities: The tush push is progressive; it is environment friendly; and it requires extra talent and approach than you may suppose. The tush push is much from lifeless … lengthy reside the tush push?

The primary one

Opposite to well-liked perception, the primary Eagles tush push really occurred as early as 2021. Stoutland and his O-line group led by heart Jason Kelce had been a fan of the quarterback sneak effectively earlier than Sirianni arrived as the top coach that January. Throughout earlier coach Doug Pederson’s tenure, the Eagles had pushed the boundaries of going for it on fourth down and had used quarterback sneaks with the cellular, 6-foot-5 and 230-plus-pound Wentz to transform a lot of them.

In 2021, Hurts’ first full season because the Eagles’ beginning quarterback, that short-yardage philosophy continued. And within the first quarter of a Week 11 recreation at residence vs. the Saints, tight finish Dallas Goedert motioned left throughout the formation after which got here again to the appropriate to settle in simply behind Hurts. On the snap, he pushed to assist Hurts get the yard wanted.

It was the one certainly one of their 18 sneaks that yr that featured a deliberate push. However the subsequent yr, the Eagles almost doubled their sneak complete, operating 35 sneaks in a yr that ended within the Tremendous Bowl, 16 of which have been push sneaks. They even ran six sneaks within the Tremendous Bowl loss.

The pushing began in earnest in Week 1 of 2022, with Goedert motioning and pushing. Then Philadelphia tried out completely different variations of pushers all through the 2022 season — lining up a operating again behind Hurts, after which debuting the now-familiar formation with a participant on every of Hurts’ hips (just like what Snyder’s Kansas State groups did) in opposition to Dallas in Week 6.

The one which wasn’t

The Eagles pulled off a faux sneak greater than as soon as, and that is what made the tush push a factor of game-planning magnificence. When defenses dedicated to stopping it (look intently and you’ll see defensive sort out Jonathan Allen throw himself sideways, virtually mendacity on the bottom to cease the offensive line), it left them weak on the surface for a play like this.

The one which made the Payments actually mad

One other stunning factor about this play is that even when it does not work, it nonetheless works. All of the Eagles needed to do right here was line up in a formation that resembled the tush push and be in a short-yardage scenario, and Payments defensive sort out Jordan Phillips obtained scorching to cease it, left early and plowed by Eagles offensive lineman Cam Jurgens. The officers known as an encroachment penalty for five yards, and Kelce argued that it ought to have been a private foul for 15 yards.

On the mix this February, Niners normal supervisor John Lynch, who’s a member of the league’s competitors committee, talked about how he was afraid that this play would result in defensive gamers performing out. “I feel again to my enjoying days, and I feel that may have made me do issues that I would not be pleased with as a result of if they don’t seem to be going to cease it, I will cease it,” Lynch advised reporters. “That form of trickles into gamers which have a sure mentality [in their] head. I am simply being truthful there. I hope that is by no means the case.”

The one the place the Chiefs faked a subject objective

Kansas Metropolis has by no means run a tush push with Patrick Mahomes, however it did run one of many coolest variations of the play on particular groups, which is stunning as a result of ever since having Mahomes and a profitable offense, the Chiefs’ particular groups unit has been fairly conservative. The one time Kansas Metropolis has ever tried this play was out of a subject objective formation whereas up 3-0 within the second quarter in opposition to Denver in 2023.

Simply earlier than the snap, holder Tommy Townsend ran as much as the road of scrimmage, and on the identical time, tight finish Noah Grey and offensive lineman Wanya Morris ran in from the wings. Grey took the direct snap, and Morris and Townsend pushed him ahead.

This regarded superior, however the Chiefs ran this on fourth-and-2, and Grey gained simply 1 yard.

The one the place the Jaguars countered

The 2024 Jaguars weren’t a superb staff, however they will dangle a banner for stopping two Eagles tush pushes on 2-point conversion makes an attempt in Week 9 of final season — and the way in which they did it was one thing not many different defenses have tried to do. The argument for the tush push’s place within the NFL is that soccer is all about innovation as a necessity. Offenses put stress on defenses to search out methods to counter their creativity, and that is how the sport grows and stays attention-grabbing. The Jaguars discovered a solution to push again on the Eagles — actually — by lining up two linebackers shut behind their defensive linemen, significantly the one lined up throughout from the Eagles heart. Stopping the Eagles’ heart from getting the low drive is the important thing to stopping the play, and the Jaguars dedicated their linebackers to backing up their defensive linemen as an alternative of attempting to time the snap and leap excessive to cease Hurts’ momentum, as most different groups did.

On the league assembly in March, a number of head coaches mentioned the tush push should not be allowed as a result of pushing defensive linemen is not allowed on subject objective block makes an attempt. What a lot of these coaches did not point out is that pushing defensive gamers on an everyday offensive down is authorized and a method they may have employed.

“The protection can push as effectively,” ex-Eagles OC Moore mentioned in March. “Because it’s written proper now, it is not just like the protection cannot push as effectively.”

The Jaguars confirmed on tape what can occur whenever you counter the Eagles with their very own assault. However Falcons coach Raheem Morris mentioned on the March assembly that he wasn’t snug doing that together with his defensive gamers.

“I do not just like the play due to what I’ve to do to attempt to cease it and for me to have somebody push a human into one other human, probably what may occur, I do not like. … I do not need to do what I feel is critical to attempt to cease it.”

The one which was a six-in-a-row ‘s— present’

The Eagles like to run this play back-to-back, as a result of they’re not often stopped for no acquire, so in the event that they want a yard on third down and get a half a yard, that units them up for a constructive fourth-down alternative to run it again.

Philadelphia ran a push sneak 3 times in a row in opposition to Arizona in 2022, illustrating that dedication. Then, this previous January, they repeated the play six consecutive instances after 4 Commanders defensive penalties nullified second down, took a minute off the sport clock, and in the end prompted referee Shawn Hochuli to difficulty an official warning to Washington that if it dedicated one other “palpably unfair act,” he would award the Eagles a landing.

“I used to be conscious that which will occur if there is a continued penalty time and again,” Washington coach Dan Quinn mentioned on the March league assembly. “However we’re not going to concede to something. That is not how we get down. In order that meant, we’ll go combat for it to the final second of the final play of the final second.”

Once more, the fantastic thing about this play is that, simply by threatening it, the Eagles already gained. And for the Commanders, taking the results of half the gap to the objective to reside one other play was higher than surrendering a landing, which they in the end did on the sixth tush push try, after Hochuli’s warning.

It was a collection that made the tush push an actual goal for elimination due to that “tempo of play” logic, that this is not a watchable tv product. One supply accustomed to the competitors committee’s considering advised ESPN the collection was a “s— present” that created actual momentum for banning the play.

The one the place Josh Allen cherished the left guard

When Hurts runs this play, he often goes straight ahead, following his heart instantly on the snap, and the Eagles’ offensive line will get such a push — or, as they known as it, a “knockback” — that Hurts can simply trip the wave ahead. However the quarterback who has run the second-most tush pushes does it somewhat in a different way, and it might in the end price him on this case. As a substitute of shifting immediately ahead on the snap, Payments quarterback Allen took the snap and infrequently waited a cut up second earlier than stepping to his left and following the house created by Buffalo’s left guard. In line with TruMedia, Allen has stepped to his left on 42 of 68 push sneak makes an attempt.

Kansas Metropolis sniffed out this tendency forward of the AFC title recreation and ready for it.

“I imply, from our defensive facet, he at all times QB sneaks to our proper,” Chiefs security Nazeeh Johnson advised SiriusXM’s Mad Canine Sports activities Radio. “So each time we see him in QB sneak formation, we all know he is coming to the appropriate facet each time. It is 100%, 10-for-10, he’ll that facet.”

The Payments transformed solely two of 5 sneak makes an attempt within the recreation, together with one which drew an unfavorable and much-debated Buffalo spot on fourth down.

The newest one … however NOT the final one

The Eagles ran just one tush push of their second Tremendous Bowl look ATP (After Tush Push) as a result of they merely did not want it any greater than that in opposition to the Chiefs. The Eagles not often discovered themselves in late-down, short-yardage conditions, and since they obtained off to a fast lead, they may accept subject targets on fourth down.

Chiefs defensive sort out Chris Jones laid himself out horizontally in an all-out effort to cease the play on the objective line, just like the Commanders’ defensive position approach.

Philadelphia’s first landing in Tremendous Bowl LIX almost turned out to be its final tush push. However after Wednesday’s vote, the play lives on. Count on the controversy to endure as effectively.





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