There’s no ifs, ands or butts about it: The push to ban the “tush push” has turn into a ache within the rear for the NFL.
The Inexperienced Bay Packers, whose 2024 season was bookended by losses to the Philadelphia Eagles, have made headlines by lobbying for a rule change to penalize the controversial play — a transfer that will most adversely have an effect on the … Philadelphia Eagles.
Cries of “bitter grapes!” had been heard from the Liberty Bell all the way in which to Florida, the place arguments concerning the matter reportedly turned heated final week as the 2 sides butted heads on the NFL’s annual house owners conferences.
The league in the end determined to desk the Packers’ proposal earlier than an official vote. A rule change requires help from 75 % of the house owners, or 24 votes, and the camps had been reportedly cut up down the center at 16-16.
Although the tush push — suppose rugby scrum meets QB sneak, if you happen to’ve been below a rock or on a darkness retreat with a four-time MVP — occurred on simply 0.28 % of complete performs within the NFL in 2024, and although the Tremendous Bowl champion Eagles and Buffalo Payments had been the one groups to run it greater than 5 instances, the play has hogged the offseason highlight.
Some critics argue, albeit with out concrete proof, that the play carries a heightened harm threat with a lot mass making use of a lot pressure in so little area. Others are offended by the aesthetics, as even a Philly fan (after a couple of Yuengling lagers, maybe) must admit that the tush push is butt-ugly.
One other argument mentioning the rear is that it’s already towards the principles for defensive gamers to push their very own linemen from behind throughout kicking performs, though that’s largely as a result of the lengthy snapper is a defenseless and weak participant.
“We don’t enable the linebackers to push the defensive linemen on further factors and we’re simply making an attempt to be constant,” mentioned Dallas Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones, a member of the NFL’s competitors committee.
“… Inexperienced Bay actually introduced one thing to our consideration that we felt like definitely must be vetted within the assembly room and amongst the house owners and see the place we come out on it.”
Proponents of the tush push, alternately styled because the “brotherly shove” within the Metropolis of Brotherly Love, counter that the play is definitely safer than a conventional sneak, the place a quarterback has much less safety from teammates.
“We’ve been very open to no matter knowledge exists on the tush push and there’s simply been no knowledge that exhibits that it isn’t a really, very protected play,” Eagles proprietor Jeffrey Lurie mentioned. “If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be pushing the tush push.”
A number of supporters for conserving the play authorized level out the potential unfairness of penalizing Philadelphia for creating and rigorously practising a play that also works — even when everybody within the stadium and watching at residence is aware of what’s coming.
“I’m of the varsity that they discovered one thing and it’s as much as all people else to cease it. So, I’m a tough sure,” Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell mentioned.
“The Eagles simply coach it higher than the remainder of us,” added Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales.
The NFL by no means needs to be the butt of jokes on late-night TV. Commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned he helps Inexperienced Bay’s plan to broaden the proposal to take away all pushing and pulling of gamers.
“That makes numerous sense in some ways as a result of that expands it past that single play,” he mentioned. “There are numerous performs the place you see folks pushing or pulling someone that aren’t within the tush push formation that I feel do have an elevated threat of harm. So, I feel the committee will take a look at that and are available again … with some proposals.”
To push or to not push. Cheeseheads versus cheesesteaks. The controversy isn’t over. It is going to rear its ugly head once more on the Might 20–21 league conferences in Minneapolis.
