The Detroit Lions will have a very frustrating task on their hands Sunday night.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ controversial spin on the quarterback sneak, dubbed the “tush push”, has divided NFL fans ever since Jalen Hurts first got a brotherly shove from his offensive line in 2022.
The play came two votes shy of being banned by the NFL last offseason, and will likely be on the chopping block once again following this season. It’s drawn the ire of NFL fans this year for Eagles linemen seemingly lining up offsides or moving before the snap without being flagged by officials.
And at least one superstar pass rusher from a Lions division rival has expressed the sentiment many NFL fans have been crying out:
Tush push not a concern for Lions ahead of Week 11
A lot of people want the play banned, but Lions head coach Dan Campbell isn’t one of them. He stuck up for the merit of the play and complimented Philadelphia’s inventiveness and physicality.
“I’m a purist,” Campbell said this week. “You take something else out of the game, then we’re taking the next thing out of the game, then we take another thing out of the game, and pretty soon we don’t have pads anymore.”
“It’s unique and it’s physical and more than anything I just don’t want to take anything else out of the game. I just want to leave the game alone. That’s me.”
Detroit has been one of the best defenses in the NFL this season and surrendered the fifth-fewest yards in the league with 2,646. And as automatic as the tush push has been in short yardage situations, they’re embracing the challenge head-on.
“Just gotta find a way,” edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson said. “I don't think anybody's quite cracked it yet, but I trust big DJ Reader in the middle to get the job done. He’s stopped a few QB sneaks in his day, so it's going to be a great battle.”
The Lions believe in their big uglies. Reader has made his name on being a space-eating run stuffer, and Detroit recently welcomed back dynamic interior rusher Alim McNeill from a torn ACL.
They also have first-round rookie Tyleik Williams on the interior, and defensive tackle Roy Lopez has been an excellent depth signing who has played really well as of late.
With a play as predicated on brute strength and determination as the tush push, there’s no real way to out-think it. The only success teams have had with stopping it is by beating the Eagles at their own game in terms of physicality.
The Lions know that, and they’re ready for it.
“You can't really practice a QB sneak,” Hutchinson said. “It's just a battle of will.”
Sunday night will be a battle between two of the NFC’s top teams, both of whom pride themselves on winning at the lines of scrimmage and imposing their will. The tush push, divisive as it may be, is a microcosm of that philosophy.
The Lions will of course strive to keep Philadelphia out of short-yardage situations altogether. But when the inevitable 3rd-and-1 or so comes along, it’ll be a prime opportunity to see who can win the so-called battle of will.
“This will be a huge test for us on the road at their place against a championship team,” Campbell said. “We're excited about it.”
