Throughout the offseason, NewYorkJets.com reporters Eric Allen, Ethan Greenberg and Randy Lange will give their responses to a series of questions regarding the Jets.
Today's question: What are your thoughts on the NFL considering revisions to the "Tush Push" rule?
EA: This is fascinating to me on multiple fronts. ESPN wrote this week that the "tush push" accounted for 0.28% of total plays last season. I agree with the sentiment that it's more of a rugby play, but there isn't any data that indicates there is more of a likelihood of injury. The Eagles just won the Super Bowl and they have mastered the play over the past couple of seasons. It's interesting that the Bills, who have also used Josh Allen effectively in tush push situations, have been vocal in their stance against the push. The Packers' proposal would institute a 10-yard penalty for "immediately" pushing the player who takes the snap, but ESPN suggested that a broader proposal that would prohibit "all pushing" of the runner could be introduced at a league meeting in May. Any rule change would require a three-quarters majority and the argument is teams want to be proactive in front of injury concerns. I thought Jets HC Aaron Glenn handled it masterfully in Palm Beach when he stated: "They've done a good job of creating a play that is hard to stop. To me, when I go back, now I'm in my defensive coaching mentality my job is to stop that play and I think I would answer it like that. My job is to stop that play, so regardless it's going to be another play that comes out that's going to be hard to stop and our job is to stop that play."
EG: I see both sides of the argument. The Eagles run the play to near perfection and it's difficult to stop. We saw Buffalo try to run a version of it in the playoffs (they converted on 2 of 6) without the same success Philly had. On the other hand, if it's dangerous for the players to defend, I understand the desire to eliminate it. It's essentially a glorified QB sneak, which has a high success rate in the NFL anyway. And like Aaron Glenn said, it's defensive coordinator's' jobs to stop the play, but there will be a new play down the road that will make its way to the field that's hard to stop.
RL: Jets fans watched Tom Brady convert all 23 of his keepers on third-and-1-2 and fourth-and-1-2 in his career against their team, and I don't recall TB ever needing a "brotherly shove" on those plays. Having seen those successes against the Green & White, my first thought is let's not continue to give opposing offenses more help to pick up those 36 to 72 inches every single time. Imagine Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa, Drake Maye and their offenses working that into their scheme full-time. Yet similarly, why not have Aaron Glenn, Tyler Engstrand and the Jets' offensive coaches install that package for Justin Fields & Co. to run, too? Bottom line, like Billy Martin, I feel strongly both ways about the posterior plow. As Glenn said the other day, the Eagles "have done a good job of creating a play that's hard to stop. Going back to my defensive mentality, my job is to stop that play. Then there's going to be another play that comes out that'll be hard to stop, and our job is to stop that play." So I guess I'll just vote to keep it in the owners' hands to decide the fate of the bum's rush for 2025.
