Rob Demovsky
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers coach Matt LaFleur wouldn't say whether or not his opinion of the tush push has modified since his workforce's try to get the play banned failed this previous offseason.
With the Philadelphia Eagles coming to Lambeau Discipline on Monday evening, nonetheless, LaFleur knew it will be a scorching matter, and it was one he had little curiosity in discussing.
“I am not going to get into it,” LaFleur stated Thursday, talking for the primary time throughout Eagles week. “It's what it's. The NFL decided, and we've got to discover a solution to attempt to cease the play, and it is a powerful play to cease.”
Former Packers president Mark Murphy, who retired in July, formally led the workforce's rule change proposal to get rid of such performs, however LaFleur and common supervisor Brian Gutekunst each known as the play a security hazard.
It was mentioned all through the offseason amongst workforce homeowners, coaches and common managers, however the proposal did not get the requisite 24 of 32 groups to vote for it. It got here up two votes quick through the official vote in Might.
Now, LaFleur, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and their gamers should cope with the play on Monday evening. LaFleur stated one of the best ways to cease it's to “not enable it to occur.”
“You'll be able to't enable them in these short-yardage conditions as a result of you understand precisely what they are going to do,” LaFleur stated. “They usually've been fairly profitable at it clearly.”
In accordance with ESPN Analysis, the Eagles have run the tush push 21 instances over the primary eight video games of this season with a conversion price of 76.5%. That is down from 82.1% final season, 83.3% in 2023 and 92.6% in 2022.
The Packers really ran the tush push 5 instances with quarterback Jordan Love in 2023, and transformed on 4 of them, however haven't run it prior to now season and a half.
“Each workforce's constructed just a little bit otherwise,” LaFleur stated. “And for me, it is at all times, would you like your quarterback topic to a few of these hits that he may doubtlessly face in these conditions?'”
The Eagles beat the Packers twice final season — within the regular-season opener and within the NFC wild-card playoff spherical.
