Why Atlanta Falcons Coach Arthur Smith Won't Use Philadelphia Eagles 'Tush Push'
Pick any Philadelphia Eagles game in the last few years and watch a third- or fourth-and-short play. Do the same exercise again for the week after, and again for the week after that, too.
The play will likely remain the exact same: Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts lining up directly behind center Jason Kelce with two more players right behind their signal caller, ready to drive him forward and gain every last inch.
Commonly referred to as the "tush push," this worked 37 times on 41 attempts for Philadelphia last season and has continued being successful through five games this year.
It's quickly become one of the most unstoppable - and controversial - plays in professional sports.
None of the league's other 31 teams have managed to replicate the success or efficiency of Philadelphia, though many have tried ... the Atlanta Falcons notwithstanding.
Will that trend continue?
Falcons coach Arthur Smith implied the answer is no, in large part because his team simply doesn't have the personnel needed to execute such a play.
Smith elaborated further, comparing the results to the idea of he and NBA superstar LeBron James trying to catch alley-oop's.
“A lot of people were trying that, and it looks a little bit different without Kelce and Hurts,” Smith said. “People forget how strong Jalen Hurts is. There are probably guys that aren’t as strong as him. Looks a little bit different. Looks a little bit different when you throw an alley-oop to LeBron James than when you throw one to me.
“So, you got to remember sometimes it’s player-driven and matchups and what you’re trying to do.”
LeBron James (38) and Arthur Smith (41) are close in age, but the latter doesn't believe he'd stack up to the former in a dunk contest.
Falcon Report SI via USA Today Sports
This season, the Eagles have converted 14 of 18 (78 percent) opportunities in third- and fourth-and-one, while the Falcons are seven of 11 (64 percent) in such down and distances.
The NFL announced in early October that it'll examine the tush push this offseason and consider banning it, largely due to the potential risk for injuries.
Should that happen, it won't affect the Falcons, who are instead focused on scheming different ways to create favorable opportunities for their playmakers.
Smith used this past Sunday's 21-19 victory over the Houston Texans as an example, noting that an early pitch to running back Bijan Robinson set up a pair of conversions for fellow ballcarrier Tyler Allgeier, putting different wrinkles into the short yardage play calls.
It's an oft-evaluated process that Smith revealed is determined by several different factors in the lead up to each weekend.
“You look at numbers, and a lot of it is about your matchups too, what you think we’ve done well,” Smith said. “It’s how they play and what they’re trying to defend, what you think our strengths are. That changes week to week. Again, you don’t want to be obvious.”
But in this case, Smith was obvious - he certainly doesn't seem poised to incorporate the tush push into Atlanta's offense anytime soon ... though it's possible nobody will be able to by next season, anyways.
