The tush push is a play in football where a team’s players surround the quarterback literally to push him through the opposition’s defense. It is essentially the QB being escorted by the center and being defended by the rest of the team. Guess which team in the NFL is best at doing it? Of course, the Eagles. Having arguably the league’s greatest center and most disciplined team, look no further than last season’s Super Bowl runner-ups for a tutorial on Tush Push. And being the frontman, center Jason Kelce is the flag bearer of the platoon that protects QB Jalen Hurts.
Interestingly, ahead of their Super Bowl rematch, the center talked about the play that the team has nearly perfected. He pointed out one simple approach they have taken to be invincible while marching forward. But will that be enough against a team that is not known much for their defensive prowess? Well, if Kelce thought it would… he might be in for a big surprise!
Jason Kelce warns the Chiefs with a bitter truth
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Days before the highly anticipated Eagles-Chiefs Mini Bowl match, Jason Kelce may have sent out an indirect warning to the defending champs. Talking to the Rich Eisen show, the center revealed the importance they give to the Tush Push. Kelce shared the timeline of their practice, which flourished after Nick Sirianni’s arrival.
When asked by Eisen how often they practice the play, the center probably told a bitter truth that Mahomes wouldn’t like to hear. His words prove the reason why nobody is nearly as effective in the play as the Eagles. “If there’s a team that’s actually practicing a full rep right, you know, speed of this play because it’s just not something that you would do in the middle of a week. And I think that’s one of the other advantages that we have quite frankly at this point.”
“For those of us that have been here with Stout since the Doug Peterson days, but especially since Nick has been here and the prevalence of getting called has gone way up… You know we’ve had so many more live reps running this play than the most teams who are trying to defend it have had at this point.” Kelce revealed how they have pretty much spammed the technique under their head coach. “And that is also an advantage”, the center cleared it to Eisen.Read More: “One Family”: The Tight-Knit Relationship Between Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce Extends Beyond the GridironBut the question of the moment remains fairly simple. Just like the team’s approach, will the trick be effective against the Kansas City Chiefs when these two collide next Monday? It could be, but there’s a catch.
Can Jason outplay the unsung Chiefs defense?
The Eagles probably have the most disciplined side in the league. It’s not like they haven’t slipped up plays once or twice, but it’s incredibly rare. So far, that has cost them one game only. But with repeated hammerings of the Dolphins, Commanders, and Cowboys, they have more than made up for it. However, here lies the twist of the tale.
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The Chiefs’ offense is often lauded as one of the best offenses in the league, if not the best. And it’s a no-brainer given the team has won seven out of their nine matches. But the interesting thing to note here is that the Chiefs’ defense has also been better than the Eagles, statistically. The former has allowed 176 passing yards on average and 288.2 defense for 16 touchdowns, compared to the latter’s 257-323.3 for 24 touchdowns.
The Chiefs recently neutralized the Dolphins, unanimously and statistically the best offense in the league. The Eagles might have the luxury of having the league’s best center; but let the Chiefs’ defense, often going under the radar, not fool you. The defending champs certainly have their tricks ready to counter the Tush Push. And despite their mastery of the craft, Jason Kelce certainly won’t find it easy to outplay the home side at Arrowhead on November 20, Monday.
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Who’s your pick for the big showdown? Tell us in the comments.
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