Tim McManus
TAMPA, Fla. — The Philadelphia Eagles scored on a pair of quarterback sneak fakes in Sunday's 31-25 win in opposition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, exhibiting there's extra to the tush push than a yard and a cloud of mud.
“It is an thrilling play. Makes it fairly thrilling, proper?” mentioned coach Nick Sirianni, utilizing the second to assist a play that has its justifiable share of detractors throughout the league.
The preliminary variation got here halfway via the primary quarter. Quarterback Jalen Hurts acquired in an athletic stance below heart on first-and-goal as if he was about to sneak it however as an alternative handed it underhand to tight finish Dallas Goedert, who adopted a caravan of blockers into the top zone.
“I used to be actually completely happy we acquired it known as,” Goedert mentioned. “I believe we put it in about 4 years in the past, possibly 5, when the workers first acquired right here, and it labored to perfection.”
The Eagles confronted a third-and-1 from the Bucs' 6-yard line late within the third quarter. Philadelphia lined up within the tush push formation, however this time Hurts handed it off to Saquon Barkley, who ran to the surface and waltzed into the top zone untouched.
“Nice name by KP [offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo],” Barkley mentioned. “It is a solution that we have now, and it is positively going to place groups on … groups realize it too now.”
The Inexperienced Bay Packers submitted a proposal to ban the push sneak this offseason — an effort that fell brief by two votes. The play has remained below scrutiny this season, together with following the Eagles' Week 2 win over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs when coach Andy Reid prompt Philadelphia “acquired off early” on a number of sneaks in opposition to them. Shortly thereafter, the NFL despatched out a memo instructing officers to name the play “tight” going ahead.
Although some within the league clearly do not prefer it, Sirianni pointed to the play's recognition. He even noticed a Pepsi business that includes the tush push whereas watching the Steelers-Vikings recreation Sunday whereas the staff was en path to Raymond James Stadium.
“It looks like followers just like the play,” Sirianni mentioned, “and it was fairly thrilling right this moment to get a landing go off it, or two runs that come off of it, to make that play what it's.”
