NFL Analyst Blames Jalen Hurts’ ‘Setbacks’ on Eagles’ Continued Use of the Controversial Tush Push

Tush Push has been one of the controversial plays of this season. Earlier, it was only blamed for leading to injuries or penalty calls. Now, it has recently been linked to quarterback Jalen Hurts’ performance amid a bothersome knee injury. Nick Wright, NFL’s ‘fire-spitting dragon’, has now come up with a take on how hurtful Eagles’ Tush Push tactics are on Jalen Hurts and other billion-dollar QBs.

The Philadelphia Eagles experienced an upset at the end of the 2023 year, losing to the Arizona Cardinals with a score of 31-35. Not only that, but the Eagles’ last month wasn’t lucky for them, as they lost 4 out of 5 games, leaving them with 11 wins and 5 losses in the NFC East division. Although the team has reached the playoffs, December’s losing stats of Philly can’t be ignored, and hence, the “tush push” is considered one of the major reasons for Jalen Hurts’ other potential injury.

Is Tush Push the correct strategy for an injured Jalen Hurts?

In the latest episode of the “First Things First,” a panel of NFL analysts discussed Jalen Hurts’ deteriorating performance and knee injury. They blamed “Tush Push” as one of the reasons for Jalen Hurts’ declining performance amid a knee injury. The panel emphasized that despite Hurts having a knee injury, the team continued to use plays that heavily relied on him running the ball, like the “tush push.”

The concern raised is not just about the injury itself, but also about how the team is handling it. The NFL analyst, Nick Wright, questioned the decision to keep using Hurts in plays that involve him running, especially considering his high value as a quarterback. Wright pointed out the macro concern and said, “Philly stop calling all of these quarterback-driven runs and tush pushes if your quarter of billion-dollar quarterbacks hurt.”

Read more: Jalen Hurts vs Jason Kelce: Who Is Richer and by How Much?

Wright explained by quoting an example that an athlete’s orthopedic won’t recommend “three 250-pounders shove you in the back and “five 250+ pounders trying to take your head off” with a serious knee injury like Hurts. On this, Eric Mangini raised a valid point, “You can’t rely on one thing and be happy with the results with Jalen Hurts as the runner and Lamar Jackson as the runner and then say, he might get hurt. He might get hurt.” 

Overall, the panel discussed that the Philly team should have adjusted their strategy when their quarterback was injured instead of relying on plays that could potentially worsen the situation. It is also true that the QB sneak also got Hurts the NFL record for most rushing scores by a quarterback in the season with 15. But at what cost?

Tush Push might or might not have affected Hurts’ performance, but one thing is clear: Hurts’ injury has impacted his squad’s performance, especially seen in the Cardinals’ game that gave them a big blow!

The Eagles not in the NFC East race?

Jalen Hurts injured his knee in the Week 7 game, but he returned the second half of that matchup against the Dolphins wearing a sleeve. Next, he re-injured his knee in the Week 9 game and still requires time to heal. However, as he is continuously participating in the games, the team isn’t able to give their best as they lost four games out of 5 in the last month. The most recent loss was against the Cardinals.

The Eagles started the second half of the game with a good lead of 21-6. However, their defense couldn’t stop the Cardinals in the later part of the game, and they ended up giving away 29 points. This allowed the Cardinals to make a comeback and win 35-31 with a touchdown by James Conner just 32 seconds before the game ended. Now the Eagles have a record of 11 wins and 5 losses, and they no longer lead the NFC East.

If the Eagles and the Cowboys, who also have an 11-5 record, end up tied after the Week 18 games, Dallas will win the division title because of a tiebreaker based on their performance against common opponents.

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