Can’t run a QB sneak? Lift bigger weights.
A recurring theme in the NFL for the last year and a half has been the use of the QB sneak. The Philadelphia Eagles turned it into the most successful play in the NFL with their own twist: teammates literally pushing Jalen Hurts forward as he fights for yards. As it’s happened, the so called “Tush Push” has drawn the ire of some purists. Many have claimed the play to be “not football” and calling for it to be legislated out of the sport, including former player Richard Sherman.
However, supporters of the tush push claim that you can’t legislate the play out of the game because the Eagles are the only team that’s truly good at it. On Sunday, that looked to be the case. Multiple teams tried the QB sneak over the NFL weekend, and most, if not all of them failed miserably. The New York Giants tried the tush push on Monday with extra linemen in the backfield to push QB Daniel Jones forward, but they could barely move a yard.
The New England Patriots tried their own version of the tush push, and they met the same fate as the Giants.
The Chargers also tried it and were hit with a brick wall instead, but maybe you can also chalk that up to QB Justin Herbert having his left hand in a splint (never change, Brandon Staley).
Everyone: BAN THE TUSH PUSH! ITS UNSTOPPABLE AND UNFAIR! #Eagles: It’s called the Brotherly Shove.
Everyone: Fine, we’ll do it too and that’ll show the #NFL that they have to ban it because it’s cheating and works every time.#Eagles: Go Birds.
Everyone: pic.twitter.com/Mb26jLFn5f
— Philly Dawgs (@PHLDawgs) October 3, 2023
With all of the failed tush pushes coming around the league this past week, people have already begun to make fun of the many others that said the play should be banned from the sport.
I was of the mind that other teams could replicate the eagles success with the tush push bc it’s a numbers game that the O will always win but after seeing a few miserable attempts this wk (chargers, Giants just now)… I’m starting to think it’s just the eagles pic.twitter.com/AsUeFXFr7z
— Kalyn Kahler (@kalynkahler) October 3, 2023
The tush push works for two reasons, and they’re quite simple: the Eagles have the best offensive line in football and a QB who lifts with said offensive line. The push part isn’t the reason the play is unfair, as evidenced by other teams trying and failure to leverage it. Having a QB who can squat the entire Earth is a great start to having a successful first step. Hurts having such a strong lower body and being able to keep his legs moving him forward is a big reason why the play works so much, it’s a luxury that very few NFL teams, if any, actually have on their roster.
If teams want to stop the tush push, or fans want their teams to be just as successful as the Eagles at running this sneak play, I have one suggestion: lift bigger weights. Go into the gym, and put every 45 pound plate on the bar and do repeated reps of picking those plates up and putting them down. It’s foolproof.
