On Sunday, the Eagles won’t hear their opponent whine after running the tush push.
Broncos coach Sean Payton appreciates how the play is executed and thinks the complaints are ridiculous.
“I was one that stood up in favor of [the tush push],” Payton said on Denver Sports 104.3. “The reason I stood up in favor of it is pretty simple. If the powers to be don’t want it for aesthetic reasons, or competitive reasons, or it’s hard to officiate, etcetera. I’ve been involved in those meetings for a long time, and when all of the sudden health and safety was pulled into what might be the safest play in football, my [B.S.] nose kind of went up.”
The Broncos voted to ban the tush push during the offseason, but it doesn’t sound like Payton made that decision.
A big argument made against the Eagles’ quarterback sneak is the aesthetic is ugly, but the Eagles made it look pretty in their Week 4 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Take a peek at this past week’s touchdown off the tush push look, and it was a sweep to the left (to Saquon Barkley),” Payton said. “I’m one that looks at it as long as the line of scrimmage is clean, that it’s a well-run quarterback sneak. When you really evaluate it, it’s more the technique of the sneak than the push. You go all the way back to Green Bay against Dallas in the ‘Ice Bowl’ and Bart Starr crosses the goal line with someone pushing a little bit behind him. So I was one that was in favor of leaving it alone on Philly’s side.”
Over the last four weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs, media personalities and fans on social media have ripped the Eagles’ famous play.
During the offseason, the NFL tried to outlaw the tush push, and they will likely try again next spring.