Two years ago, the Eagles took full advantage of a rule change from 2006 allowing runners to be shoved from behind by teammates. After many complaints regarding the ensuing tush push play — which is more rugby than football — the rule remained.
This week, Fox’s Mike Pereira suggested that the rule could come under fresh scrutiny for a different reason. After Washington repeatedly jumped offside in an attempt to stop it during the NFC Championship, nearly resulting in a touchdown being awarded by the officials to the Eagles, the “ugliness” of that moment could prompt the powers-that-be to revisit the legality of the tactic.
That’s a horrible reason for considering a ban on the tush push. It would reward the various teams that can’t stop it for trying too aggressively to do so.
But if it’s possible that the mini-debacle from two weeks ago could be the death of the play, today could be the last time we ever see it.
And the Eagles have perfected it. Amazingly, no other team has developed similar proficiency. The play requires strength in the interior offensive line, a quarterback who’s able to take the pounding, and players who can provide the well-timed shove to the rear from the rear.
The benefits are undeniable. It shortens the line to gain, transforming first and 10 into first and eight or nine. Why wouldn’t more teams devote significant resources through the draft and/or free agency to coming up with that kind of orange-stick hack?
Whether it should continue to be permitted is for the owners to decide. If they ever dump it, hopefully it won’t be prompted by the futile efforts of defenses to come up with a counter.
