Eagles' signature 'tush push' is the play that NFL has no answer for

The Philadelphia Eagles no longer play by the same rules as the other 31 teams in the NFL. 

"Every first down," head coach Nick Sirianni said following his team’s 31-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins last Sunday, "it’s first-and-9."

The "tush push" – "Brotherly Shove," "rugby play," or whatever else one may call it – has become vital to Philadelphia’s success and driven opponents and their fans mad in an effort to stop what is, overall, a simple football play.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts takes a snap under center. His offensive line pushes forward. Hurts follows and is typically aided by two pushers from behind.

"It is a game-changing dynamic, for sure," said Eagles center Jason Kelce.

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In the early fourth quarter of a one-possession game against the Dolphins, Sirianni called timeout after the Eagles’ third-and-1 run play was stopped at the line of scrimmage. Once he saw where the ball was spotted, the coach kept his offense on the field for a fourth down from their 26-yard line. An unsuccessful attempt would have given the Dolphins a short field with a chance to tie the game. But of the 20 times Philadelphia has run its signature play through seven games, only once has it been stopped for no gain. This was not the lone instance. The Eagles converted, called the play again later in the drive and scored a touchdown to put the game away. 

After the game, Sirianni looked directly into the camera and made his "plug."

"You’ve seen it across the league that people can’t do it like we can do it," he said. 

Sirianni continued: "If everybody could do it, everybody would do it."

Why Eagles have so much success

Among the advantages Philadelphia has created for itself on the "tush push," there is one no amount of preparation or the proper personnel can replicate: the number of game reps the Eagles have. 

"It’s not a play that you can practice full-speed. Nobody practices it on Wednesday at the tempo it’s going to be in the game," Kelce said. "Because we’ve had so many reps in the past two years on that play, we have a better breadth of knowledge of how to hit the nuances and all work in the same direction. I think it adds up."

Philadelphia (6-1) is at the top of the NFC standings for the second season in a row. The "tush push" helps the Eagles keep drives alive on their way to a league-best 34:34 time of possession. They average the most first downs per game (24.1), and their third-down efficiency (48.5%) ranks second in the NFL.

Since 2022, the Eagles have converted 41 of 44 push sneaks while needing one yard for the first down, according to ESPN Stats and Info. As more teams have tried to copy them in 2023, per CBS Sports, the rest of the NFL is 33-for-46 (71.7%).

Kelce said that the Eagles have run the play toward the left side – behind tackle Jordan Mailata (365 pounds) and Landon Dickerson (332 pounds) – more often this season. More technique is involved than many might imagine.

"And Landon’s probably as good as anybody on that play," Kelce said. "He jumps that snap count at times. He hits it with the leverage that he has and the weight that he has and the power that he has. It’s going to be really hard to stop a yard for that."

Dickerson was called for lining up in the neutral zone himself in the second quarter of the Dolphins' game. Kelce and the Eagles contested it was Kelce's left arm, as the center uses a four-point stance on the play. Going forward, Kelce said, Philadelphia will inform the referees that if they see an extra limb near the ball, it's likely his.

"I get it," Kelce said. "They’re just trying to keep it honest as much as they can with the defense."

How to stop tush push? 

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said the Eagles’ technique of crowding the ball is one of the things that gives them an advantage over the defense. Washington hosts Philadelphia on Sunday for the NFC East rivals’ second matchup of the season. 

But perhaps the only way to defend the "tush push" is to not have to face it all. 

"Your best bet to stop it is not getting into third-and-short, fourth-and-short. You’re going to have a very tough time trying to stop that," Commanders defensive lineman James Smith-Williams told USA TODAY Sports. "So that’s your best chance. Don’t let them get there."

That’s a good defense’s approach every week, but the existence of the play makes it all the more paramount. 

"That's one of the things you do talk about is having more success on first and second down," Rivera said. "If you can keep them out of those third-and-1s, fourth-and-1s, your opportunity obviously to get them off the field is big. So, we've got to be good early on and we know that."

Of course, third- or fourth-and-short situations typically are unavoidable for an entire game. In the event of an incoming "Brotherly Shove," the directions for the defense are also clear. 

"Line up in the neutral zone," Smith-Williams said, "very low."

On his podcast, "New Heights," Kelce told his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, that the Commanders' efforts – the defensive linemen practically sprawled themselves on the ground – stood out among all the attempts to stop the play.

Attempting to jump the snap isn’t a bad idea, either. 

"It’s just all about momentum and whoever gets the first jump, I guess," Washington defensive tackle Daron Payne told USA TODAY Sports. "That’s all I can do."

The injury factor

Kelce would like to see the data when it comes to injuries on the short-yardage effort. While rapping his knuckles on a wooden beam at his locker, Kelce said he doesn’t believe the pile of bodies falling on top of one another will lead to an increased risk of injuries.

"If you look across the league, it’s really not a high-injury play," Kelce said. "I think the (New York) Giants, unfortunately, had a couple guys go down … it’s a very grueling play, but it’s so tight-quartered that it doesn’t allow for high impacts. So I don’t think that you’re going to see that many injuries on it."

The Giants tried to run their version of the play in a Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and lost their starting center and second-string tight end due to injuries sustained in the scrum. On Monday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy appeared to take a blow to the head on a short-yardage sneak; he entered the concussion protocol later in the week. 

Hurts, whose strength is an attribute that allows the Eagles to consistently call the play, continued to shove his way to success despite being hampered by a knee injury. The quarterback, who can squat more than 600 pounds, powered his way to 13 rushing touchdowns last season and has six in 2023.

There is still a physical toll to pay, however, in the form of bruises, hands caught in awkward places and twisted ankles.

"I think the reality is that that’s happening throughout the game," Kelce said. "But there’s a lot of weight in there. There’s people on top of you.

"I don’t want to do it either, at times." 

But the advantage it gives the Eagles is worth it.

"You (saw) it firsthand (against Miami)," Kelce said, "why it can make such a difference in the outcome of a game."