Some plays become legends for their brilliance, while others become notorious for their length. On Thursday, October 9, the Philadelphia Eagles’ use of the ‘tush push’ felt like the latter. Four straight pushes on a short-yardage play turned a battle at the goal line into a tedious slog against the New York Giants. The play worked, but it tested everyone’s patience. So much so that even ESPN’s Mike Greenberg had to apologize on behalf of the league and its fans. 

As Greenberg put it, “And then came the tush push portion of the evening. And on behalf of the National Football League and its fans, I apologize to anyone who had to sit through this. They wound up running four consecutive tush pushes. To the amusement of no one. And they’re jumping early. No one cares. It’s ridiculous. Why don’t we just award them a touchdown? You know, they award like a walk now on four straight pitches just so you don’t have to waste the time sitting through this.”

So far this season, the Eagles have already banked on the short-yardage quarterback sneak more often than usual. Greenberg also highlighted Philly’s false start that got missed by referees. What’s more, even Green Bay Packers’ linebacker Micah Parsons took to his X handle to call out the play, noting “This is not football” and adding two garbage can emojis to his post. The league is now caught between allowing a powerful tactic and keeping the game fair and exciting. But for how long?

The tush push has a rocky history, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell vying to get it banned for several years now. The hammer almost fell earlier this year. But the rule fell short by two votes amid safety concerns and fairness debates. Critics argue it’s too easy, forces defenders into unfair positions, and gets officials tangled in spotting early movements. Offensive linemen often jump early, but referees miss calls during these plays, fueling frustration.

The Eagles’ mastery of the tush push makes it a winning weapon. But now, hordes of people have flooded social media with #BanTheTushPush, especially after Thursday night.

The heat around the ‘tush push’ isn’t a standalone concern for the Eagles, though. They started this season strong, going 4-0 into Week 5. But that’s where the momentum shifted. After losing their first game of the season in Week 5, the Eagles got handed another solid defeat at the hands of the Giants. Even with their trademark tactic getting them points, they simply couldn’t stop a re-energized Giants squad.

Eagles’ struggles and Giants’ rise

The ‘tush push’ controversy was just one headline in a rough night for the Eagles. The Giants’ 34-17 win exposed cracks beyond the end zone. Giants’ rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart ran for 58 yards and a touchdown, while throwing for 195 yards and another TD. Rookie running back Cam Skattebo became unstoppable, adding three rushing touchdowns that simply overwhelmed the Eagles’ defense.

The Eagles started okay under franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts. They scored two quick TDs and briefly snagged a 17-13 lead. But then the Giants took over, and Philly’s offense never saw the daylight again. Poor clock management and turnovers (an interception and a fumble by the Eagles) killed their momentum. In the second half, Philly got completely shut out, being forced into three back-to-back punts. 

Post-game, Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson called out Philly’s mistake: “The execution isn’t there. We get behind the chains. We get very predictable, I think sometimes.” Johnson also added, “You can game plan all you want, really, (but) we got to make adjustments. We have to play better. We are not efficient in any phase.”

Philly could only convert 1 of 9 third-down attempts, and failed to score in the entire second half. With a defense reeling from injuries, they also failed to keep the Giants in check, who gained 172 yards on the ground alone. As the Eagles now gear up for Sunday’s October 19 clash with the Minnesota Vikings, the biggest question is: can they get back their lost momentum?