In a thrilling Week 8 matchup, the Philadelphia Eagles secured a convincing 38-20 victory over the New York Giants, with quarterback Jalen Hurts delivering a standout performance that earned him the “LFG Player of the Game” award, presented by NFL legend Tom Brady. However, the game also reignited controversy surrounding the Eagles’ signature “tush push” quarterback sneak, particularly following a pivotal moment that sparked debate over officiating and the rules governing forward progress.
The controversy unfolded late in the game when Jalen Hurts attempted a fourth-down conversion using the Eagles’ famous “tush push” play—a formation where teammates push the quarterback forward to gain crucial yardage. As Hurts stretched out to secure the first down, Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux managed to strip the ball from his grasp. Although the Giants appeared to recover the fumble, the referees quickly blew the play dead, ruling that Hurts’ forward progress had stopped before the ball came loose. Consequently, the Eagles were awarded the first down, a decision that infuriated Giants head coach Brian Daboll.
The ruling proved costly for the Giants. Just two plays after the controversial call, the Eagles capitalized by scoring a touchdown, extending their lead to 14-7 and setting the tone for the rest of the game. The Giants’ frustration was palpable, as the team felt the turnover should have been awarded in their favor, potentially changing the momentum of the contest.
Adding to the debate, former Eagles center Jason Kelce weighed in on the call during a recent episode of the sports podcast “New Heights.” Kelce was unequivocal in his assessment, stating, “It’s a fumble, they missed it.” He argued that either the officials should have ruled Hurts’ forward momentum was stopped before the line to gain, which would have resulted in a turnover on downs, or called it a fumble recovered by the Giants. Instead, the referees granted the Eagles a first down, a decision Kelce found perplexing.
Jason Kelce’s brother, Travis Kelce—star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs—echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the inconsistency of the call. Both brothers agreed that the forward progress ruling was incorrect, and Jason went further, asserting that if the “tush push” play is genuinely difficult to officiate, that could be grounds for its ban.
“I know there has been a lot of noise around false starts and now this play and I get it,” Jason Kelce said. “If the tush push truly is hard to officiate, that would certainly be a reason to ban it.”
Despite acknowledging the challenges officials face when policing the “tush push,” Kelce defended the play itself as a legitimate and strategic part of football. He argued that the controversy often stems from officials’ struggles with forward progress calls in general, rather than the mechanics of the “tush push” itself.
“Listen, I know everyone wants to get on the tush push, again, I don’t see how this has anything to do with the tush push. Officials miss forward progress calls all the time,” Kelce explained. “I’m not looking to make excuses, I just don’t know how these little things have to do with the pushing of tushes. Like, it’ll still be an issue if the Eagles run quarterback sneak, that’s my one caveat to it.”
Kelce pointed out that if officials allow offensive linemen to false start or miss other infractions, such penalties or missed calls would happen regardless of whether teammates push the quarterback forward or not. He suggested that the issue lies more with officiating consistency than the play’s inherent design.
The controversy surrounding the “tush push” is not new. The play nearly faced a ban earlier in the year during the NFL’s spring meetings in May. Team owners voted 22-10 in favor of banning the play but fell just two votes short of the 24 needed to officially abolish it. This close vote underscored the divisive nature of the tactic, with some teams viewing it as an unfair advantage while others defend it as a legitimate football strategy.
Despite the ongoing debate, the Eagles continue to leverage the “tush push” effectively as part of their offensive arsenal. Their Week 8 victory improved Philadelphia’s record to 6-2, further solidifying their status as one of the NFL’s top contenders this season. The team now heads into their bye week