The “Tush Push”: The Play That Sparked Controversy in the NFL
Bill Snyder, the legendary Kansas State coach, doesn’t understand the fuss caused by the “tush push”. At 85 years old and retired, he remembers the play as a simple addition to a trick play, without considering it innovative. “It was something natural,” he commented on the play that generated an intense debate in the NFL.
Snyder explains that the goal was to ensure the minimum necessary distance without being stopped, using one or two runners to push the center or quarterback. Although he has no knowledge of anyone using it before his Wildcats, the play became popular after 2013, when pushing was legalized in college football. His offensive coordinator, Dana Dimel, took it to UTEP, where he experimented with fake trick plays.
“It was like any other play. It was just a play in our playbook, and that’s what we did on certain occasions, and we didn’t treat it any differently than any other play we had.”
Bill Snyder
However, the league and most team owners do not share the same view. Concerned about health, safety, and the pace of the game, they tried to ban the “tush push”, but the proposal was rejected by 10 teams.
Saquon Barkley on criticism of the “tush push”: ‘Get better at stopping the play’
In their three years of existence in the NFL, 28 of the 32 teams have implemented some variation of this play. The only teams that haven’t used it are those with quarterbacks with less bulk or prone to injuries. Although there are no specific statistics for the Eagles’ distinctive formation, where the offensive line crouches and the running backs group behind the quarterback, ESPN’s numbers reflect all trick plays where a player is pushed.
Since 2022, 12 teams have scored touchdowns using the “tush push”. The Eagles lead with 124 attempts (106 first downs and 33 touchdowns) and an 85.5% conversion rate. Although no other team comes close to the Eagles’ frequency, their success coincided with a general increase in quarterback sneak plays in the league.
In 2016, ESPN began to record quarterbacks’ trick plays, with 109. By 2020, the number had doubled to 234, and in 2023, following the Eagles’ increase, it tripled to 341.
The Eagles’ success with the “tush push” has been remarkable, even on plays without a push. According to ESPN data, in the last three seasons, the Eagles have run only six regular trick plays without a push, compared to 124 with a push, with an 83.3% success rate, only 2.3 percentage points below their rate with a push.
The play has proven to be innovative and efficient, requiring more skill than it appears. The “tush push” is far from disappearing.
Contrary to popular belief, the first “tush push” by the Eagles occurred in 2021. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland and center Jason Kelce were proponents of the play long before Sirianni arrived as head coach. In 2021, in week 11 against the Saints, tight end Dallas Goedert pushed Hurts to gain the necessary yard. The following year, the Eagles doubled their attempts, with 16 of them being “tush push”.
The Eagles have demonstrated the versatility of the “tush push”, using trick plays. When defenses focus on stopping it, they are vulnerable to other plays.
Even when it doesn’t work, the play generates benefits. The simple threat of using it creates opportunities, such as when the Bills committed a penalty for encroachment, giving the Eagles a yardage gain.
In the AFC Championship game, the Chiefs prepared to counter the tendencies of Josh Allen, who usually moves to the left. The Bills only converted two of five trick play attempts in that game.
The Eagles’ “tush push” almost was their last play in Super Bowl LIX. However, after Wednesday’s vote, the play remains in effect. The controversy will undoubtedly continue.
