Much attention has been dedicated to the Eagles' famous tush push play over the last year. Off the field it has dominated discussion to a disproportionate degree. On the field, opponents are forced to zero in on the play in any short-yardage situation. On Sunday against the Buccaneers, Philly took advantage of that.
Holding a 24-13 lead with a few minutes left in the third quarter, the Eagles faced a third-and-1 near Tampa Bay's goal line. They lined up for their usual tush push with Jalen Hurts under center ready to surger forward. Then, trickery.
Instead of running the tush push, Hurts handed the ball off to Saquon Barkley for a counter sweep. The Bucs were not at all prepared for the feint and Barkley basically walked into the end zone untouched for the easiest touchdown of the season.
They fooled them with the Tush Push set up 😳
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 28, 2025
Saquon TD!! pic.twitter.com/xHYRPOSlLY
Smooth as glass.
It's not the first time Nick Sirianni's squad has faked the tush push. They ran a different fake against the Cardinals last season that resulted in former backup RB Kenneth Gainwell throwing the ball from the backfield. But this version of the fake worked out significantly better.
Now it's on film so don't expect the Eagles to pull out this same fake again anytime soon. But it is a good reminder for their opponents that Philly's staff is entirely capable of weaponizing the tush push in a multitude of ways.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Eagles Score Easiest TD of the Year With Fake Tush Push vs. Buccaneers.
