Tush Push controversy: Eagles-Chiefs game is all evidence NFL needs to ban the play

The proposal to ban the overpowered tush push play, abused by the Philadelphia Eagles, was denied this past offseason, but it feels like that’s going to change this spring. The Eagles once again used their marquee play to seal the win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but the recent use of the play has drawn a lot of criticism. 

The argument lately has been about how the Eagles are breaking rules already in place and the officials aren’t calling penalties. Have the Eagles been abusing the rules this whole time? I guess it’s possible, but the officials have to do a better job to crack down on the play. The problem now is if the officials start flagging the Eagles, it will look like they are targeting them. 

The Tush Push controversy will continue to be magnified as the microscope is growing around the play. Officials have already started to crackdown on copycat plays and now the Eagles will be under a bigger spotlight as growing support for banning the play will stay at the forefront. 

Philadelphia Eagles controversial win over Kansas City proves Tush Push play is close to being banned

On the Tush Push play that the Eagles used to seal the game against the Kansas City Chiefs to improve to 2-0 on the season, not only did it appear they were offside, but they also might have false started as well. The officials missed both, allowed play to go on, and it sealed the game. It’s why this play ultimately needs to be banned. 

I don’t have a problem with the Eagles finding an alternative to the quarterback sneak that they’ve been able to use and have an advantage over the rest of the NFL with. This isn't about a skill gap, this is about a play that’s crossing a gray area and questioning the integrity of the game.

It’s up to the officials to be more intentional about making sure the play is within the guidelines of the game. If Kadarius Toney can get flagged for lining up offside as a wide receiver, how can the officials not realize an entire offensive line is basically offside on one of the most critical plays of the game? 

This play needs to be banned not just because of the play itself, but because the Eagles have been essentially running an illegal play for quite some time. This isn’t to say that they’ve been lined up offside every time they’ve ran it or even that it’s happened before, but the fact that they’ve gotten away with it now, it makes you wonder how many more times they’ve been able to finesse it. 

NFL officials were quick to monitor copycat Tush Push plays, signaling they may be more aware

If you look at the Los Angeles Chargers game versus the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, the referees looked to have taken an extra second to make sure players weren’t lined up in the neutral zone before allowing the Chargers to take the snap. This game, obviously, occurred after the Chiefs game so I’m sure it was something NFL officials talked about, but it shouldn’t have come down to that. 

At the end of the day, these are the extra steps officials should be taking every time the play is getting ready to happen, especially when it occurs at a crucial point in the game. Hopefully the whiff in the Eagles game means officials are going to start paying more attention. If not, it will only add to why the play needs to be banned. 

Why the Tush Push will ultimately get banned after this season

The Tush Push will get banned after this season and that’s largely because of the play itself, but the loopholes the Eagles are finding with the play. The fact that they can get away with false starts and lining up in the neutral zone will cause teams to reconsider letting the play remain legal. 

Between pushing the quarterback forward and the gray area with the current rules, it’s not worth keeping it around. The Eagles will feel targeted if they can’t run their play this season because officials will keep a close eye on it. The first thing they’re going to say is, “We’ve been doing it this way the whole time, why enforce it now?” 

It’s a valid question and one that proves that to solve any controversy, to just eliminate the play altogether. NFL owners now have more reason than ever to ban the play. Their coaches aren’t going to let the Eagles continue to get away with it and they’ll voice that opinion to their owners. 

Sunday’s game is proof the play should have been banned a long time ago and while it was considered a legal play by the current rules, it doesn’t mean the loopholes Philadelphia found with it are ethical.