PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles were facing a fourth-and-1 at midfield early in the second quarter Sunday, and everyone in the stadium knew what was coming before the offense even lined up.
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A capacity crowd of nearly 70,000 rose for a standing ovation, anticipating perhaps the most talked about play in the NFL.
Or is it the “brotherly shove?” The nicknames vary, but the results have been remarkably consistent.
“It’s been a good play for us,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “A really good play for us.”
The play is a glorified sneak where the quarterback is pushed forward by teammates lined up behind him. It has been wildly successful for the Eagles since they made it a regular part of their offense in 2022. They have run it 37 times in the regular season, per ESPN Stats & Information, and have gotten a first down or scored a touchdown on 34 of those attempts for a success rate of 92%.
Other teams are following suit — there have been 36 attempts through four weeks, up from five at this point in 2022 — with mixed results. Four teams are 0-for-1, but the overall success rate is 81%.
“It’s not as automatic as people think, as we’re seeing across the NFL,” Sirianni said.
It might not be automatic for the Eagles, but it’s close. And their success might explain why it has become controversial, with critics saying it’s more rugby than football and should be outlawed. The rules committee will review the play in the offseason, and the league alerted officials to watch for infractions such as illegal formations and blocks. The backlash prompted the take-your-whining-and-stick-it standing ovation during Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders as Eagles fans showed their support for a play that has become part of the team’s identity.
“Well, it’s not being officiated as illegal, so we just have to prepare for it,” Washington defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio said before the game. “I would personally like to see it eliminated, not just because they run it better than anybody, although they do run it better than anybody. But I don’t think that’s a football play. I think it’s a nice rugby play, and it’s not what we’re looking for in football.”
The debate is starting to heat up. The NFL competition committee was “split” over whether to outlaw the play this offseason, per Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay, who is also the chairman of the competition committee. There wasn’t enough support to propose a rule change at the league meetings in March, but multiple members of the committee said they’d further analyze the play this coming offseason, when more injury-related data will be available.
On Monday night, two members of the New York Giants — rookie center John Michael Schmitz and tight end Daniel Bellinger — were hurt while executing a tush push in the first quarter of a 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and they did not return.
“I think in the near future, rules might change,” Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “But for now, offenses might as well take advantage of it.”
The fact that not all teams have taken advantage as successfully as the Eagles strengthens the argument that the play is less about the push and more about the men attached to the tush.
“There is clearly a talent to it that our guys have,” Sirianni said. “I get that some people are complaining about it, but stop it. Stop the play.”
