Another tush push false start news coming in. This time from the Week 3 matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles. The push play has been under immense scrutiny since the Super Bowl.

Despite that, Philadelphia keeps getting away with it. Just a few days ago, officials were warned to watch “these plays tight and make sure that every aspect of the offensive team is legal.” 

But the same story has unfolded against the Rams. The Eagles pulled off another false start on the infamous shove, and no flags flew. It’s almost like it’s becoming a trend now. Not just the fans or analysts are frustrated, but it’s also driving coaches like Sean McVay straight to the edge.

So, when the refs missed those false starts on the Rams’ sideline late in the game, McVay took matters into his own hands. The head coach cornered referee Brad Rogers over no false start flags during the Rams’ last drive. Rogers then walked over to chat with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni. And this is after McVay had already spoken with the officials to clarify exactly how the tush push should be called.

Let’s break down what went down. Early in the first quarter, the Eagles faced a crucial 4th-and-1 at the Rams’ 3-yard line. The Eagles lined up for their signature tush push. Right guard Tyler Steen, who had been under scrutiny since Week 2, jumped early. But got away with it. The push worked, and Jalen Hurts powered forward for the first down.

Then, just two plays later, the Eagles ran it again from the 1-yard line and scored a touchdown. Again, Steen gave an early twitch right before the snap. Still nothing.

Sirianni had made a clear statement days earlier: “We know we have to be right… We understand that we have to be perfect on that play. And we’ll keep working on being perfect on that play.”

He also acknowledged the challenge refs face: “I think that the one clip I saw of it was slowed down so much that I’m not sure you can see that to the naked eye. I mean, it was slowed down so much.” But sadly, this seems like a perfect example of all talk and no action.

The tush push has been under fire since Chiefs-Eagles in Week 2, painting the backdrop for McVay’s confrontation. The players moved early, and no flags came. That game saw the Eagles run the push seven times, converting five. And it again started the whole: ban or not to ban discussion.

The tush push debate

After the Week 2 game, Kansas City’s head coach, Andy Reid, gave his opinion on the whole controversy. “You try to get penetration, is what you try to do, to be able to stop [the tush push],” he said. “They might’ve had a couple of ‘em that they got off early on, but we’ll look at that.”

In the Chiefs vs. Eagles clash, the spotlight was on a goal-line showdown with 5:29 left in the fourth quarter. It was third-and-one, and the Eagles lined up for their signature tush push to shove Hurts past the first down.

But both offensive guards, Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen, appeared to jump early, maybe even lining up offside before the snap. And Fox broadcast did call them out when it happened.

The legendary Tom Brady also weighed in, calling the play hard to stop. “The ‘Brotherly Shove’ is awfully impossible to stop,” Brady said on the Fox broadcast. “When you get a false start penalty like that, it’s even harder to stop. They missed that one pretty bad.”

The NFL even admitted the refs missed a call, releasing a training video showing exactly how officials should watch the play.

Now, with Sean McVay’s direct challenge to the refs, the league faces mounting pressure to either crack down harder or risk losing control of its officiated. Every missed flag just increases the heat on the push play. If this continues, the Birds can enjoy the ride this season. However, next offseason, their luck will run out, as the push play will most likely be voted out.