NEW ORLEANS: The Super Bowl will no doubt feature many of the stars, plays and styles that powered the Kansas City Chiefs (17-2) and the Philadelphia Eagles (17-3) to their respective AFC and NFC championships and a Birth in the Big Game No. 59 (6:30 PM ET (5:30 PM CT)-Caesars Superdome-New Orleans, Louisiana FOX).
The one play that the Eagles run better than any team in the league and surely will be used at some point, is called the “Tush Push” AKA “The Brotherly Shove."
It is a version of the quarterback sneak the Birds started to use in 2022. The play was successful 29 of the 32 times they tried it and got first downs.
That's a 90 percent success rate.
Any play at the pro level that works that well will be scrutinized by the rest of the league. There have been calls for the play to be banned. But so far, the league is not looking to remove the “Tush Push” from the Eagles, or anyone else's play book
Last week a renewed call to ban the play came from a NFL franchise president and CEO.
In an article constructed by Yardbarker writer Douglas Fritz, he quoted Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy calling for a Tush Push ban after the Eagles ousted his team in the Super Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
According the Fritz, Murphy echoed what others have said about the ridiculous rugby-style lack-of-skill play, according to cbssports.com.
“I am not a fan of this play,” Murphy said. “There is no skill involved. And it is almost an automatic first down on plays of a yard or less.”
The Washington Commanders tried everything it could think of to stop the Eagles from scoring at the goal line.
Led by linebacker Frankie Luvu, the Commanders intentionally went offside four times with Luvu leaping over the line of scrimmage and drawing a warning rebuke from the referee, who threatened to reward the Eagles with a touchdown.
“The series of plays with the Commanders jumping offsides in the NFC Championship game to try to stop the play was ridiculous,” Murphy wrote in reply to a fan’s question about his thoughts on the play.
“The referee even threatened to give the Eagles an automatic touchdown if the Commanders did not stop it. I would like to see the league prohibit pushing or aiding the runner (QB Jalen Hurts) on this play. There used to be a rule prohibiting this. But (aiding the runner) is no longer enforced. It was thought to be too hard for the officials to see.”
Fritz went on to say Murphy added a true statement for a play that basically starts every Eagles’ new chains with first-and-nine instead of first-and-10. Eagles head coach Nick Siranni bragged about it, but this goes against the history of the game of football.
“The play is bad for the game,” Murphy said. “And we should go back to prohibiting the push of the runner. This would bring back the traditional QB sneak. That worked pretty well for Bart Starr and the Packers in the Ice Bowl.”
PLAYERS AT THE SUPER BOWL REACT TO STATEMENTS BY THE PACKERS OWNER
EAGLES LANE JOHNSON
Eagles All Pro right tackle Lane Johnson said he still can't believe the attention one play gets from the league. To his point, there are no bans on other teams using the play.
The Buffalo Bills and New York Giants are among several team who have tried the play as have college teams.
No one has come close to attaining the success rate the Eagles have attained.
“The quarterback sneak has been around long before it was renamed the 'tush push.” Johnson said at his riser on Wednesday. “(Tom) Brady was really good at it when he was with the Patriots. I don't know.”
Johnson continued to talk about the play and made it seem like he wouldn't mind seeing it sidelined.
“We do run it every now and then...when we ran it four times in a row against Washington, was it fun? No. Is it safe?” Probably not. But...I don't know. It's one of those plays that I never would have thought would come to this magnitude. But it is...so...I don't know. They make a bunch of new rules every year, so if they want to ban it, they can...if they don't...I don't care.”
CHIEFS CREED HUMPHREY
At first, first Chiefs center Creed Humphrey said he he didn't have much of an opinion on the play. Then went on to talk about the play.
"I don't have any thoughts on it,” Humphrey said. “I think you be able to stop it instead of making it illegal...I don't know.”
What does Humphrey think makes it so successful?
“The O-line does a great job of staying low and driving their feet,” Humphrey said. “Jalen is obviously an extremely strong quarterback, so they do a good job with it.”
Humphrey said would be okay with whatever the league decided to do if officials take up the protest by the Packers owner.
The 25-year-old, two-time All Pro said it might be a good idea to draw the line somewhere if not to just show a line and settle the matter.
“Where do you draw the line?” Humphrey asked.” That's what you have to figure out. Where do you draw the line if you do that?” I don't know really.”
CHIEFS GEORGE KARLAFTIS
Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis might have had the best attitude about the play: It's here...just play well enough to stop it.
“It's not up to me to say what play should be legal or not,” said. “It's a reality of the game. You have to go out there and stop it with any mean necessary.”
Karlaftis said he focuses on the teams that had success against the play.
“There's been a few stops,” Karlaftis, said/ “It's just one of a lot of other play plays they've had success with. And they've had a lot of success with it. The best way to stop it is not to get in a situation to use it.”
CHIEFS CHRIS JONES
Chiefs superstar defensive tackle Chris Jones did not go with a form answer when asked about Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy's request for the “Philly Shove” to be banned.
"Me and him both, It's no good for the game," Jones said without hesitation. "They have such a huge win rate...Man, they have such a high win rate. They need to make the game even for us. Yeah, ban the play."
The six-time All pro was asked that given the Eagles changed personnel with Cam Jurgens moving to center former Jets Mekhi Becton taking over the right guard spot, how have the Birds been able to maintain the play's level of success?
"They've been running it for a while," Jones said. It's tough to stop. They've kind of mastered the leverage and the rugby style of running the play...yeah, man, it's pretty tough. That's pretty hard to stop that. They have like, a 95 percent win rate with that. It's pretty tough"...Jones stopped for a moment and repeated, "Ban it out of the game!"
Eagles center Cam Jurgens has been dealing with a bad back and left guard Landon Dickerson suffered a knee injury that kept him out of the second half of the NFC title game against Washington.
Jones was asked about how he approaches a game with opponents like these two Pro Bowlers who are banged up. Does that change his preparation at all?
"No, I think they'd be ready," Jones said. "We got two weeks to heal, get our legs under them. I expect them to be ready to play when Sunday Comes."
And so will the "Tush Push." *
Email Al Thompson at al.thompson@footballstories.com
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