When the Super Bowl happened, both teams pulled out all the stops to get a win. And while Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs took the Lombardi trophy, the Eagles and Jalen Hurts put up a tough fight. Despite horrible field conditions and controversial calls, the Eagles went on to be a tough contender. They held off the Chiefs up until the very last minute with a final score of 37-35.
The Eagles also employed a special tactic during the game. They had an interesting method of a quarterback sneak that has gained a lot of attention. There have been very few methods in football that have been as effective as the quarterback sneak Hurts used. However, the longevity of this sneaky method might be very short-lived as the NFL might prematurely end it.
Is the most famous play of the Super Bowl being put to sleep?
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The NFL has seemingly announced that they might be banning the ‘tush-push’ QB sneak play from the game itself. This infamous play was one that was used b by the Eagles throughout the season as well as the Super Bowl. The league apparently feels like the play itself is not one that showcases any sort of athleticism or elegance, which they claim football to be.
The NFL is expected to look into banning the “tush-push” QB sneak method this off-season, per FOX NFL Rules Analyst Dean Blandino. “The NFL wants to showcase the athleticism and skill of our athletes. This is just not a skillful play. It’s not an aesthetically pleasing play.” pic.twitter.com/tCJ5yzCOxe
— Eagles Nation (NFC Champs) (@PHLEaglesNation) February 16, 2023
The NFL also revealed that it feels like the play itself might not showcase any skill. Fans, in their typical fashion, did not take kindly to the possibility of a sneaky play like this getting banned.
There were some visceral reactions from fans to the way the NFL is behaving with a solid play that Hurts and the Eagles have been using.
Fans go ballistic after possible NFL ruling
NFL fans showcased their trademark brutality after such a ruling went viral. One fan spoke about developing an actual defense instead of banning the play.
Or…hear me out…stop the offense from getting to a 1-yard-to-go situation. Who cares if the offense can grind 1.5 yards on a QB sneak if it's 3rd & 10?
— Sam (@DigitalSamIAm) February 16, 2023
However, some fans were all for banning the play.
Good that was one of the most annoying plays of the Super Bowl good riddance!
— PierréG (@PierreHoward) February 17, 2023
Furthermore, fans also spoke in favor of the play by speaking about its entertainment value.
Find me one person who changed the channel because Jalen hurts ran a qb sneak… im actually more excited because as season went on every team tried their own different way to stop it and some had succeeded
— Embiid BurnerMVP (@pepperedsalami) February 16, 2023
There were also comments about fixing the horrible condition of the field.
So because the Eagles and Jalen (who can squat 600lbs) did this outstandingly well, it now needs to be banned?
How about we first try banning a slip’n’slide field for the Super Bowl?
— Jordan (@jordanrawa) February 16, 2023
Fans also mentioned the other pointless rules that haven’t been banned.
Now tell me why throwing the ball out of bounds on purpose is aesthetically pleasing. 25 words or less. pic.twitter.com/6bXaJQZRah
— Jeffrey Stoneberger (@Eatmecookme) February 17, 2023
Finally, fans spoke about the pointless approach the NFL was taking with the sneak rule.
In other words, “We couldn’t stop it, so we’ll just ban it.”
— Darron Jennings 🇺🇸 (@darronj) February 17, 2023
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All in all, fans did not support the decision of banning the rule. They truly believe that the QB sneak plays the Eagles have implemented was a legitimate play that brought about a healthy competitive edge.
While there are some rules that might need to be implemented for safety purposes, this does not seem like one of them. However, only time will tell how the actual rules for the QB sneak progress.
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