Micah Parsons doesn't think NFL should ban Eagles' 'Tush Push'
One of the staples of the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive success has been their execution of the quarterback sneak, nicknamed the ‘Tush Push’ as one or two players in the backfield pushes their quarterback Jalen Hurts forward in a play that’s nearly unstoppable in short yardage situations.
The Eagles have been so successful at the play that some have called for the NFL to ban it, as they converted the play 37 of 41 times last season. But surprisingly, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons disagrees with the banning of the play despite being a divisional rival to the Eagles, which he explained recently with Bleacher Report.
“I honestly just think they have the team to do the Tush Push,” Parsons said. “We stopped [New] England, when they tried to do the same thing to us, it’s all about who you have. The Eagles have the best o-line in the game, so yes it’s a cheat code, they’re unstoppable at it.”
The Patriots failed at their attempt of the ‘Tush Push’ in their 38-3 loss the the Cowboys this past Sunday, possibly proving that in theory, the play may not be as unstoppable as it seems.
But there’s no question that the personnel of the Eagles is what makes the play so effective for them, as their offensive linemen like All-Pro selections Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson surge forward and create a lane for one of strongest quarterbacks the game has seen who’s well known to squat 600-pounds in the weight and stands at 6-foot-1, 230.
“We just have to deal with it, we have to adjust, we have to prepare to stop it,” Parsons said. “It’s not up to the league to say, ‘Hey, just because you can’t stop it, we have to take it away.’ No, we have to get better, we have to get stronger up front and we have to stop it.”
The ‘TushPush’ has been legal in the league since 2005 when the NFL removed the language in the rules that prohibited pushing offensive players, but the Eagles successful use of the play saw many complaints from opposing coaches who had trouble stopping it.
The NFL’s competition committee did not come up with any rules this offseason to prohibit the play, meaning that defenses will have no choice but to get their weight up as Parsons said and do their best to push back against the Eagles’ offensive front when the play happens.
Parsons and his Dallas defense won’t have to see the Eagles or their ‘Tush Push’ play until they square off on November 5, but they’ll still face one of the league’s best offenses in their next matchup as they face the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday at 8:15 p.m. on Sunday Night Football.