The Philadelphia Eagles have an almost automatic play in the ‘tush push’ and head coach Nick Sirianni knows it. Up by a touchdown in last night’s game, Sirianni went for a 4th and 1 twice in his own territory. Both times they converted with the controversial play. As calls for its banning continue, Sirianni passionately defended the play in his postgame speech.
Philadelphia Eagles Nick Sirianni Defends Tush Push
Sirianni has a very simple defense for the play. “People can’t do it like we can do it,” he said in the postgame. It isn’t for lack of trying. Around the league, teams have tried to pull off the play to no avail. Injuries have happened and quarterbacks have been stuffed. It is only the Eagles that have had massive success with the play. If this were a play that was working league-wide, there might be more of an argument but the fact that only one team seems to have figured out how to make it work without injuring all of their players makes this play tricky.
Will It Be Banned?
I’m not an Eagles fan and I’ve been on the side of wanting to ban it. My tune is changing. If the play was automatic around the NFL, that is one thing. If players were getting devastating injuries left and right that would make sense for a ban as well. None of those are happening. Banning the tush push would only affect one team, the Eagles. That seems a little harsh. Rule changes should be for epidemics across the league not small outbreaks on certain teams.
The Eagles will fight that the play is legal and teams just need to find a way to stop it. This offseason, it will be interesting to see what the league does about the play.
