Jalen Hurts, Eagles soaring with 'tush push' - ESPN

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles were facing a fourth-and-1 at midfield early in the second quarter Sunday, and everyone in the stadium knew what was coming before the offense even lined up.

A capacity crowd of nearly 70,000 rose for a standing ovation, anticipating perhaps the most talked about play in the NFL.

The «tush push.»

Or is it the «brotherly shove?» The nicknames vary, but the results have been remarkably consistent.

«It's been a good play for us,» Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. «A really good play for us.»

The play is a glorified sneak where the quarterback is pushed forward by teammates lined up behind him. It has been wildly successful for the Eagles since they made it a regular part of their offense in 2022. They have run it 37 times in the regular season, per ESPN Stats & Information, and have gotten a first down or scored a touchdown on 34 of those attempts for a success rate of 92%.

Other teams are following suit — there have been 36 attempts through four weeks, up from five at this point in 2022 — with mixed results. Four teams are 0-for-1, but the overall success rate is 81%.

«It's not as automatic as people think, as we're seeing across the NFL,» Sirianni said.

These teams attempted the most push sneak plays since the start of the 2022 season, including playoffs, through Week 4.

It might not be automatic for the Eagles, but it's close. And their success might explain why it has become controversial, with critics saying it's more rugby than football and should be outlawed. The rules committee will review the play in the offseason, and the league alerted officials to watch for infractions such as illegal formations and blocks. The backlash prompted the take-your-whining-and-stick-it standing