Jason Kelce reveals why Eagles received warning from NFL
The Philadelphia Eagles “tush push” or “brotherly shove” is perhaps the most controversial play in the NFL.
So much so, in fact, that defenses are bending the rules to try and stop it, and according to Eagles center Jason Kelce, NFL officiating crews have warned the team about the proper formation when running the play.
“Defensive players have been lining up in the neutral zone to try and stop that play, and we’ve seen that called on opposing defensive lines,” Kelce recently said on his “New Heights” podcast. “But we received a warning that Landon (Dickerson) has been in the neutral zone, and that is against the rules. The only player allowed in the neutral zone is the center. … Landon has been lining up in the neutral zone, so they warned us before the game.”
While Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni acknowledged the league had spoken to the team about the play, he wouldn’t confirm details of what was actually discussed on the matter.
“We’ll just keep our conversations with the league private,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “Like anything they said back to us if we turn anything in or anything like that. They do a great job of giving us information, and I want to keep those conversations private with us and the NFL. We have to make sure that we don’t leave any doubt on the field that we’re legal during that play because, like Jason said, there was an emphasis on it this week.”
The play is polarizing because of Philadelphia’s success rate when using it. Teams have argued it’s a near-automatic first down when run on the goal line or in short-yardage situations.
The New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots all ran the same play over the weekend but didn’t see the same success Philly does.
While, yes, the Eagles do run the play more effectively than any other team in the NFL, that certainly doesn’t mean the team is cheating. Kelce admitted Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland sought out guidance from a rugby coach to help perfect the play.
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