Whether you call it the “Tush Push” or the “Brotherly Shove”, you know what to expect when the Philadelphia Eagles have only one yard to gain.
This play became nearly unstoppable over the last few seasons as the team perfected it. Some say this play is what pushed the Eagles to several victories.
Many teams have issues with this play. The Green Bay Packers have proposed a rule banning the exceptionally effective QB sneak. While some see this as a personal attack against the Eagles and Buffalo Bills, the Packers question its place on the football field. Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy commented about his dislike of the play. He believes “there is no skill involved” and that it becomes an automatic gain.
Let’s dive into this debate.
What is the Tush Push?
To be clear, this play refers to the QB sneak that involves a low offensive line, and a running back shoving the QB over the pile. The power of the Tush Push comes from two parts.
The offensive line gets low and physically moves the line of scrimmage. If they get low enough, they crawl as the line moves back. If the defense gets low enough, then the power of the offensive line and the backfield pushes the QB forward.
https://twitter.com/NFLUKIRE/status/1888742931491680288
https://twitter.com/JerseySwapsHQ/status/1889728678155694316
Where does the play come from? The Eagles consulted a Scottish rugby coach, Richie Gray. The play uses rugby scrum and maul techniques to force the mass of players in a direction. There are many differences between the two football and rugby versions of this play, but the ultimate goal is the forward movement of the ball.
Some critiques of the play include it being a rugby play.
Some main differences include:
- Rugby is a continuous play
- Nobody can go over a rugby maul like a QB does.
- The execution of the play does not look like rugby
A rugby maul in football would look more like this.
https://twitter.com/the_det_times/status/1888272048360698158
Is It An Automatic Gain?
Well, no, it is not.
Several instances of the play have been stopped. The Washington Commanders were warned of a rare penalty in which the referees could award a score because of their consistent failed attempts at stopping this play.
Does this make the play automatic? No, because it has still been stopped.
Does it Require Skill?
It requires a combination of skill and strength.
Without a powerhouse offensive line, this play is useless. It may not be a flashy one-handed catch as the player is falling out of the endzone, but it requires skill nonetheless. If it lacked skills, every team would be able to complete it.
As stated before, several teams have consulted rugby coaches to adjust the techniques used. If it required little to no skill, there would be no way to improve it, and it would have been done on every 4th and 1 since football was first played in 1869.
Is it football?
To get technical, football could mean anything, depending on where you are in the world. But does the Tush Push belong in American Football, specifically in the NFL? It does, and here is why.
You cannot ban a play because it works. If they did, the forward pass would not have been created. The rules only change to make the game better. The NFL rule changes are typically associated with player safety. One notable rule change that occurred because scores were too easy resulted in moving the goalposts to the back of the endzone.
This rule change adjusted the game some but did not remove the kick because it was too easy. The comparison here would be to ban the offense from pushing their team from behind. This slight adjustment to the rules would affect more than just the 4th and 1 tush push. There has always been power in numbers, especially on the football field. This would leave the ball carrier defenseless as he runs into defenders.
Should The Tush Push be banned?
The Tush Push’s use in the NFL is an adjustment to a traditional QB sneak.
As with any new play, defenses must learn how to adjust to it. Defending this play is hard but not impossible. NFL defenses may require a consultant to devise a plan to stop the play.
The Tush Push has not been proven as an illegal, unsafe, or unfair play. Therefore, it should not be banned.
Leave a comment