The Eagles had a secret weapon en route to their NFC title this season: a nearly foolproof version of the quarterback sneak.
The play, which entailed Philadelphia's massive offensive line blocking for quarterback Jalen Hurts while teammates pushed him forward over the line to gain, earned the nickname "Tush Push," a takeoff of the "Bush Push" from USC's memorable final play against Notre Dame in 2005. And it worked, frequently: the Eagles made 31 first downs via the sneak in 2022.
Every action, however, has an equal and opposite reaction. According to Fox analyst Dean Blandino, the 'Tush Push' may be on its way out the door.
“I think the league is going to look at this, and I’d be shocked if they don’t make a change," Blandino told The 33rd Team Thursday. “It amounts to a rugby scrum. The NFL wants to showcase the athleticism and skill of our athletes. This is just not a skillful play. This is just a tactic that is not an aesthetically pleasing play, and I think the competition committee is going to take a look at it.’’
Blandino compared the assisted sneak to other, similar plays that have been outlawed, such as pushing multiple defensive players into one offensive lineman on field goal attempts.
If the analyst's gauge of sentiment around the league is correct, Philadelphia made need a new means of getting Hurts from Point A to Point B in 2023.
