For any NFL team looking to stop Philadelphia's "tush push" play, look no further than one Texas high school team.
The "tush push" is a play that the Philadelphia Eagles have popularized. It consists of quarterback Jalen Hurts being pushed ferociously from behind on his "tush" to help him move the ball forward on a short-yardage play. As this is happening, the offensive line gets low and plows through the defensive line. However, the Lumberton Raiders seem to have the answer for stopping this seemingly unstoppable play the Eagles have created.
All it takes? A flip over the offensive line and a WWE-style tackle. Here's the solution provided by the Raiders from Lumberton, Texas.
The ?I?? to stop the #TushPush ?@easron33 | @LISDRaiders | ? @CoachCMcDonald3 pic.twitter.com/Zpd6eBrEpU
— Dave Campbell's Texas Football ? TexasFootball.com (@dctf) October 17, 2023
Of course, the play here isn't exactly a tush push. The quarterback doesn't have two players behind him to help push him through. So, it might be difficult for the high-flying Jeff Hardy-like linebacker to squeeze in between the two "push" men to perform some type of powerbomb tackle on the quarterback, although I'm sure the NFL and football worldwide are open to solutions.
The defensive coordinator for the team, Chase McDonald, made a post on X expressing this strategy.
Hey, @NFL this is how you stop the ?Tush Push.? I hope @reymysterio approves. @easron33 @Matt_Stepp817 @dctf @BallySportsTXHS @TXHSFB @txhsfbchat @kfdmsports @SportsCenter @barstoolsports @UnnecRoughness @WWE #Superman #tushpush #txhsfb #football #dog pic.twitter.com/0FnVanYtlC
— Chase McDonald (@CoachCMcDonald3) October 14, 2023
"Hey, @NFL this is how you stop the 'Tush Push.' I hope @reymysterio approves," McDonald said.
Of course, McDonald referenced Mysterio, who popularized the wrestling move — the "sunset flip" — that the linebacker pulled off there.
The Eagles are 5-1 on the season, coming off a massive loss on the road to the New York Jets. So the last thing they need is a high school football team finding a solution to stopping their most consistent play.
We've also seen some failed tush pushes, including on Monday night when the Dallas Cowboys attempted it against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The #Cowboys becomes the latest team to try the tush-push and fail.
"I think the Eagles are the only one who have figured it out." - Troy Aikmanpic.twitter.com/B2wRafTZDc
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 17, 2023
In all seriousness, while that move might not be possible in the NFL unless Troy Polamalu makes a comeback, kudos to this high school defensive coordinator for his creativity.
