The Philadelphia Eagles have figured out a surefire recipe for success when it comes to short-yardage situations. The Tush Push, which gained prominence in Philadelphia’s run to the Super Bowl two years ago, has become a lethal weapon for the squad, and they excel at it unlike any other team. Whenever it is a one or two-yard situation, the Eagles deploy their patent weapon, thrusting quarterback Jalen Hurts over the marker.
It’s a play that has become unique to their system, with other teams like the Buffalo Bills trying and failing to match their efficiency, making them all the more dangerous to deal with.
The question for opposing defenses then becomes simple: How do you stop it? According to Thomas Booker IV, Mekhi Becton, and Cam Jurgens, the answer is simple.
How Do You Stop the Tush Push? Eagles O-Line Reveals the Secret
The play has been “Mike’s Secret Juice” for Philly for three years, as they deploy it with unmatched success. Booker believes the play is literally unguardable. When our team caught up with him during Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans, he had just one response for PFSN.
“Hope and pray. That’s all I got.”
Becton, on the other hand, offered the science behind the move and what made it so unstoppable. Talking to our team, he described the play’s simplicity in detail.
“Just the combined mass and force that we all have together. And we just do it all together, and it just can’t be stopped.”
However, Becton still wasn’t willing to completely admit that the Eagles had the best offensive line in the NFL, a feat that has allowed the Tush Push to be so effective and also pave the way for a historic season from running back Saquon Barkley.
“I feel like we do some things pretty good, and we do some things that’s not so good. So, I mean, there’s always room to get better.”
One key factor that many believed could slow down the move was the retirement of legendary center Jason Kelce. As the lynchpin of the offensive line, Kelce’s dominance was essential for the play to work. But Jurgens has filled the spot seamlessly and allowed the cheat code to work with relatively the same efficiency.
When PFSN caught up with him, Jurgens was proud of Philadelphia’s ability to pull it off.
“Because they can’t stop it, and they can’t do it. I think if everybody could do it, nobody would want to ban it. One or two teams can do it at the clip we can, and other teams want to get rid of it.”
For Jurgens, the beauty of the play is in the synergy. The entire offense needs to function as one unit for the play to work, and it’s what makes them so unstoppable.
“It’s like a truck with four-wheel drive. If something goes wrong, you get a flat tire, like it’s not going to work. So, it’s all of us moving together in unison.”
Against a Steve Spagnuolo-coached defense that limited the Bills to just two conversions on five Tush Push attempts, the play will be critical for the Eagles. It remains to be seen if the defensive mastermind can solve their puzzle or if he too falters in front of it.
The efficacy of the Tush Push will be a major factor for Philadelphia as they try to stop the Kansas City Chiefs from completing the NFL’s first-ever three-peat of the Super Bowl era. Philly’s offensive line is more than confident in its ability to make the play work to perfection. Now it’s all about Super Bowl 59 and how things play out on the gridiron.