The Philadelphia Eagles, after losing back-to-back games to the Broncos and division rival Giants, finally got back in the win column in Week 7. Now sitting at 5-2, the defending champs look steady, and their signature Tush Push remains their go-to weapon in short-yardage situations, especially near the goal line.
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And since we’re talking about a team that already has four one-score wins this season, it’s safe to say that the Tush Push has been their ace in the hole … whether Eagles fans agree or not. But in Week 7, the Vikings came up with an interesting defensive wrinkle to counter the play that’s been impossible to stop.
Minnesota lined up linebacker Tyler Batty sideways right in front of Eagles center Cam Jurgens, crowding the line with extra defenders. Two interior linemen stacked behind Batty to create a wall, and one of them shot straight at Jalen Hurts, trying to drive him backward before he could cross the line to gain.
The Vikings tried this counter late in the first quarter, but even with that creative setup, Hurts and company managed to convert for a first down. It was a valiant effort, but the Eagles only gave up a drop of blood.
That’s why defensive lineman Cam Heyward, who’d likely be in the thick of things if the Steelers ever faced this play, didn’t seem too impressed by Minnesota’s approach.
“What? They just fell to the ground to see if they could get somebody to fall, jump offside?” Heyward asked his co-host.
“I don’t know if it’s sustainable, honestly,” he added after going on a brief rant about how the Tush Push isn’t exactly risk-free either.
What exactly did Heyward say about Tush Push? “This is wild… There’s no understanding to it. So, I feel like you’re gonna have to do away with guys getting pushed to, and the running back or the guy with the ball cannot be pushed from the backside to convert a play. I think that’s not even really football. You’re just kind of just throwing a guy into harm’s way at that point,” he opined.
Heyward’s frustration with the Tush Push is understandable, and so is his hesitation about the Vikings’ counterplay. Linebacker Tyler Batty basically turned himself into a human wall, getting trampled by those massive offensive linemen, and even some of his own teammates. As Heyward put it, that’s just not sustainable.
However, former Eagles center Jason Kelce, who was arguably one of the architects of the Tush Push, recently reacted to the play, saying how impressive it was. He even had a suggestion for how it could be improved.
“It’s [an] interesting strategy. Create a log jam at the point, then the other DTs jumped over, it almost worked. I’d line up with an unbalanced line and just make the guard the center of the push though. I do like seeing innovative strategies to stop it,” Jason said.
All that said, let’s not forget how the Eagles faked a Tush Push against the Bucs a few weeks ago. All that stacking and clogging up the line can also create openings for Jalen Hurts to run the trick play again. Moreover, the team can mix in other creative plays to keep defenders guessing. It will likely continue indefinitely, unless the infamous Tush Push is banned, of course.
