The One Play That Could Determine the Future of the Tush Push

Our long national nightmare is over. 

On Wednesday, the NFL's owners voted to preserve the Philadelphia Eagles' controversial Brotherly Shove play, also known as the Tush Push. The vote was 22-10 in favor of banning the play, which meant that those opposed did not generate the 75% majority required to establish the new rule.

And with that, 31 NFL teams are left to try and figure out how to stop the Tush Push, and maybe — just maybe — figure out how to succeed with it themselves. What a concept! 

One thing I've been wondering throughout the time the Eagles have used this play with such a high rate of success is why the Eagles haven't used a fake with the stacked run looks, and then pass out of it. 99 times out of 100, defenses are stacked to stop the push, and coverage isn't really a concern, because nobody has made it a concern.

But there was one play of interest in the Eagles' 22-10 wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers, the team most publicly opposed to the Tush Push in the first place. The Eagles had third-and-1 at their own 49-yard line with 13:40 left in the game, and they were already up, 16-10. Philly was in its usual full house backfield, with running back Saquon Barkley and tight end Dallas Goedert joining quarterback Jalen Hurts for the push. 

At the snap, it was clear that the intent was to pass — this wasn't a desperation play out of a bobbled center/quarterback exchange. Hurts dropped back immediately, with Barkley and Goedert flaring into wider blocking responsibilities. The snap itself was a bit sloppy, and Hurts had to drop back quickly, because linebacker Quay Walker was jumping over the pile over the middle as quickly as he possibly could. 

That may have upset the timing of the pass play, which had receiver A.J. Brown faking a block, and then running a corner route about 18 yards downfield. Safety Xavier McKinney and cornerback Keisean Nixon were able to peel back and keep up with Brown downfield, but if Hurts' throw hadn't been off target, that was probably a touchdown.