The Tush Push is front and center yet again — and the NFL is being accused of nefarious actions in an attempt to stifle the chatter.
After the Eagles used their polarizing play to secure their 20-17 road win over the Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch Sunday, one Chiefs fan noted how the NFL disabled X clips of one play that showed Philadelphia seemingly false starting but not being flagged.
“The NFL is filing copyright claims on X from any user (including those in the media) who posts video of the missed false start by the Eagles 👀,” X user @Farzin21 posted Monday afternoon.
“People have ALWAYS posted NFL clips on X for years. The NFL has never done this before 🤣.”
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The issue also became a major talking point when ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter ranted Monday morning on how Sunday’s result actually tied back to the league not banning the play during the offseason.
“The biggest thing here, to me, is that this game was lost in March,” Schefter said on “Get Up” on Monday. “This game was lost when the NFL owners refused to ban the tush push from happening. It wasn’t lost yesterday, it was lost in March. And there might be a lot of games that the Eagles play that are lost in March, because this play is unstoppable.
“Not only does the defense not know how to handle it, but even the officials don’t know how to handle it. You’re seeing the Eagles linemen jump offsides every play and nothing’s called. So, the officials have no idea. Defenses have no idea and the Eagles get to do whatever they want on every single play in the tush push. I know people hate it, but they have mastered it.”
The Tush Push is the league’s most controversial play since some feel it should be banned since it’s not really a rushing play and more of a rugby-esque tactic.
Those in support of the play counter that only the Eagles are this dominant with the play, which is a credit to their coaching.
NFL owners had a chance to ban the move this May, but they voted to let it live another day. Schefter reported at the time that roughly nine to 10 teams voted to ban the play.
The play especially came under the microscope Sunday since the Eagles are alleged to have gotten away with several infractions.
In one particular sequence, three Eagles lineman appear to inch forward before the ball is moved.
The Eagles scored a late touchdown on a Tush Push to grab a 20-10 lead, and then sealed the game by securing a first down with the play.
“We think he jumped multiple times,” Chiefs star lineman Chris Jones said.
Clips of the potential false starts started circulating online, but X users alleged the NFL had them removed amid the chatter.
Cowboys reporter Marcus Mosher’s page mentioning the Tush Push instead has a blank space with the caption: “This Media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner.”
“How are you supposed to stop this play if the guards are allowed to beat the snap???” Mosher wrote.
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The Eagles face the Rams in Week 3 and it’s fair to assume that Los Angeles coach Sean McVay will have a long talk with the referees about being mindful of potential false starts.
The referees, for most the part, rarely flag the Eagles for not running a proper play, only adding fuel to the fire for those against the almost unstoppable rush.
“I am done with the Tush Push guys,” former NFL rules czar Dean Blandino said during the Fox broadcast. “It’s a hard play to officiate.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
