A meta-shifting play if there ever was one, the Philadelphia Eagles’ renowned “Tush Push” play now stands at the center of controversy as fans and pundits alike find themselves debating over its existence.
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With more and more voices crying for the play to be banned, everyone seems to have an opinion on the technique that helped to transform Jalen Hurts from a perennial playoff contender to a Super Bowl champion. But finally, an important voice seems to be in favor of banning the play.
During the latest episode of The Rich Eisen Show, the seven-time Sports Emmy nominee gave his reaction to the Green Bay Packers submitting a formal request to have the legality of the play reviewed by the competition committee this offseason. Suggesting that the Packers’ initial claims are disingenuous, the titled host asserted that,
“If you’re telling me that it’s because you can’t stop, you don’t get my vote… I want to hear from Green Bay, why are you saying ‘no’ to this? Because it’s definitely not for what they say, pace of play and player safety.”
Despite his beliefs that Green Bay is being dishonest in stating their motivations behind wanting the technique to be banned, Eisen still maintained that the “Tush Push” has the potential to create a less exciting product. In highlighting the efficiency of the play itself, the longstanding media personality argued that the end result could strip spectators of the opportunity to witness passes on third downs.
“What I’m saying is, it’s just unstoppable and it’s boring for me as a fan to see. Somebody is going to get just like Philadelphia, and they are going to do it on third down and fourth down. If it becomes third and four, why don’t they do it twice? Why are they throwing it? If it’s third and three, why not do it twice?”
Many believe that allowing the option to remain on the sheets of future play callers can only cause more harm than good. Considering that NFL defenses are currently banned from using a similar technique during extra point attempts, the continued existence of the Eagles’ go-to play is an example of an inconsistency in the league’s enforcement of its rules.
Eisen reacts to potential NFL rule changes
In reviewing the other proposals made to and by the committee, Eisen felt the need to address the permanent implementation of the dynamic kick and the league’s latest attempt to address its overtime rules. With the committee suggesting that dead ball spots resulting from a touchback should be placed at the 35-yard line rather than the 25-yard line, Eisen highlighted that “A lot of coaches were saying ‘Do that’ during training camp last year.”
Another point of contention proved to be Philadelphia’s request to have playoff games adhere to the same overtime rules as regular season contests, with Eisen stating,
“If somebody scores a touchdown, you get a chance to respond. In order for that to happen though, the 10-minute overtime becomes 15 minutes. I would say yes to that.”
Despite having existed for more than a century, the NFL seemingly has a ways to go in attempting to idealize the game of football. While every rule change is bound to be met with concerns from novice-type players, the reality of the situation is that the game, much like the manner in which it has been presented, will continue to evolve to fit the demands of a growing audience.
While they may never be able to satisfy everyone, the league would certainly do well to provide a bit more of a digestible product than the one that fans have become accustomed to in recent years.
