The Philadelphia Eagles’ infamous “tush push” is once again under the spotlight — and this time, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is raising concerns just days before their Week 3 matchup.
During Philadelphia’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the Eagles ran the play seven times. On several occasions, linemen appeared to move early, but no false starts were called. Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones chalked it up to human error by the officials, saying Kansas City had to “just play the next down.”
Rams Will Have All Eyes On Eagels Tush Push: Rolling Start
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McVay, however, is taking a more proactive approach. Speaking at his Monday press conference, the Rams’ head coach said he’s already begun conversations with the league office about how the play is officiated.
“Anytime that you see certain things, you have conversations with the league office to make sure you’re understanding, how is it officiated? How can we coach it?” McVay explained. “I did see some of those things last night, and that’ll obviously be a big talking point because they’re such a damn good team and it’s such a successful play for them. Those are conversations with the league office, but I’m sure they’ll have the same ones and operate within the confines of not getting a little bit of a rolling start before the ball is snapped.”
The “tush push” has been one of the most debated plays in the NFL over the past two years. Multiple teams pushed for it to be banned at the league’s annual meetings, but not enough support emerged to outlaw it. Instead, it remains legal — and nearly unstoppable. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has scored 33 career touchdowns from one yard out, many of them on this exact play.
McVay stressed that if the guards are getting a “rolling start,” it makes an already-dominant play nearly impossible to defend. With Los Angeles preparing to face Philadelphia this weekend, the Rams hope increased scrutiny will ensure tighter officiating.
Still, don’t expect the Rams to copy the Eagles’ signature move. Asked if quarterback Matthew Stafford might run the play this season, McVay laughed it off.
“No,” he said. “He’s done it for so long, we always joke about it, [Stafford] is a terrible sneaker — he ended up having some good sneaks last year… The Eagles run it and there’s a technique, there’s a commitment to it and it’s really remarkable, but there’s a reason why they’ve done it different than others. To answer your question, you won’t be seeing much tush push from the LA Rams.”
For the Rams, Stafford’s mobility has never been central to their offense. He’s scored just one rushing touchdown under McVay and has 15 total in his career, a far cry from Hurts’ short-yardage dominance.
As Week 3 approaches, McVay’s comments may put added pressure on officiating crews to pay closer attention to the nuances of the “tush push.” Whether that tilts the playing field for Los Angeles remains to be seen.
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