The NFL wanted its referees to tighten up on calling penalties on Tush Push attempts at the start of the year. On Thursday night, officials called it by the book.
The Steelers attempted a Tush Push-like play during their “Thursday Night Football” during the second quarter of their matchup with the Bengals, with tight end Darnell Washington under center, and were called for a false start.
The right side of the offensive line jumped before the ball was snapped, and that drew the penalty.
Due to the penalty, the Steelers — who were going for it on fourth-and-1 — were forced to go for a field goal instead.
By the time the game hit halftime, the Steelers trailed 17-10.
The Tush Push has been a source of controversy and the league attempted to ban the play earlier this year, but failed to pass a vote by NFL owners.
The measure needed 24 votes to pass, but only received 22, with the Jets, Ravens, Patriots and Lions among the teams that voted against banning the play.
The league had also made a point in a training video to its officials earlier in the season to call the Tush Push “tight.”
“We want to officiate it tight,” Ramon George, NFL vice president of officiating training and development, said in the tape. “We want to be black and white and be as tight as we can be when we get into this situation where teams are in the bunch position and we have to officiate them being onsides, movement early. … Prior to the snap, looks like we have movement by the right guard. We also have movement coming across from the defensive side. This is a very hard play to officiate. I get it.”
The Packers were the team that led the charge to try and ban the Tush Push this year, and their star edge rusher, Micah Parsons, took to social media last week to criticize the play.
He doubled down on it this week when he spoke with reporters.
“You ask the Eagles offensive players, probably say that’s the best thing we’re doing on offense right now. It’s the most consistent thing they got, but that might come and bite me one day. It is what it is. I hate that play. … You can’t stop it if they’re leaving early,” he said.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
