Spagnuolo: Chiefs Had Wrinkles To Stop Tush Push

One thing he didn’t see on that film was more than one snap of the Eagles’ signature offensive play, the Tush Push. Spagnuolo said he had a few unique wrinkles up his mad-scientist sleeves, but other than the first Philadelphia touchdown, the Super Bowl didn’t present another opportunity to unveil those schemes.

And because NFL teams this spring voted narrowly to keep the play legal, Spagnuolo knows he’ll see more and more of it – beginning with this week’s Super Bowl rematch at Arrowhead Stadium (3:25 p.m. CT, FOX/WDAF Channel 4, 96.5 The Fan). He’s also expecting to see it from Josh Allen when Kansas City travels to Buffalo in two months. That’s why Spagnuolo has collected information from rugby coaches.

Simple philosophy

Spagnuolo had a simple philosophy before owners voted not to abolish the play.

“I don't know if getting however many pounds behind somebody and pushing is good for football or not,” Spagnuolo said in March. “I'll let the competition committee decide that, but listen … if it's in football, you got to find a way to defend it.”

At the combine, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed that his team proposed banning the play, although several have been outspoken in their desire to remove it, including Rams head coach Sean McVay.

Even Baltimore unveiled a version of it last season, an Edgar Allen Poesh. But Philadlephia’s O.G. version is usually executed in up-tempo fashion, generally without huddling. Spagnuolo said that makes substituting difficult. Plus, any wrinkles Kansas City utilizes to defend it have to account for audibles Jalen Hurts can call, such as a jet sweep.

“It's a great conversation to have,” Spagnuolo said before the vote. “If they keep it in football, then we're just going to have to keep trying to find ways to stop it.”

Shutting down Barkley

What the Chiefs did stop in the Super Bowl was Saquon Barkley’s torrid pace, a run-stopping trend they continued last week until Justin Herbert’s dagger scramble in the waning minutes. Despite the 40-22 loss, Spagnuolo’s unit held Barkley to 57 yards, his fewest on the ground in 15 games, and 2.3 yards per carry, his lowest total in a Philadelphia uniform.

But Spagnuolo also saw Jalen Hurts capitalize on his Barkley-neutralizing strategy. The Eagles’ quarterback had 72 ground yards, including a Tush Push touchdown.