Why don't all teams use the unstoppable tush push? Here's why - ESPN

THE ATLANTA FALCONS, protecting a 7-3 lead, faced a fourth-and-1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 47 with 9:03 left in the first half of their Week 1 matchup.

For the Philadelphia Eagles, the playcall would have been automatic: the tush push. And the result would have been nearly automatic: a first down. They've converted the play 96.6% of the time in fourth-and-1 scenarios since 2022. It has become so unstoppable that nearly two-thirds of NFL teams voted to ban it.

But Falcons coach Raheem Morris is no fan of the tush push, questioning its legality and wanting it banned. So instead, he called for a handoff to star running back Bijan Robinson, who was stopped for no gain. The Bucs scored on the ensuing possession en route to a 23-20 NFC South victory.

«There's just no other play in our game where you can absolutely get behind somebody and push them,» Morris said. «I never really understood it, why that was legal. So, I've definitely been one of those guys voting against that.»

Morris is not alone in his skepticism. Only nine teams have run the play 10 or more times since 2022. Four teams — the New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins — have never attempted one.

Even the Indianapolis Colts under Shane Steichen, who was at the forefront of implementing the play when he was with the Eagles, have attempted push plays just three times since he was hired in Indianapolis in 2023. None of those attempts produced a first down.

The play is as simple as it is effective. At a basic level for the Eagles, it involves quarterback Jalen Hurts taking the snap and diving forward behind a powerful offensive line while being pushed from behind by teammates lined up in the offensive backfield.

The Eagles