Behind the Philadelphia Eagles, arguably no NFL team has tried to weaponize the Tush Push like the Buffalo Bills. Behind the running talent and physicality of MVP quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills installed a version of the Tush Push last season that they used in place of standard QB sneaks. It was decently effective but the Kansas City Chiefs were able to completely stop it in the AFC championship game, further reinforcing how the Eagles stand alone in their mastery of the play.
This past offseason the Tush Push became a huge point of contention and interestingly Buffalo was one of the primary supporters behind banning the play outright. Head coach Sean McDermott was open in his belief the play carried too much injury risk and should be outlawed. Ultimately it was for naught; the vote to ban the Tush Push didn't pass during league meetings in May, with the Bills voting in favor.
For his part, Allen does not believe the play should be banned. He explained why to Sports Illustrated.
"I'm a big believer in if you can't stop it, keep running it, right?," Allen told SI in a Q&A interview. "I think that there's a few teams that do it better than others, but then you look at a few teams that try to do it, and it doesn't have the same success. Because, one, they maybe don't practice it enough or, two, they don't have the guys to do it. And just because a couple teams do it better than others, I don't feel like it should be banned.
"I understand the merit of what it brings and so I don't really sway one way or the other. I try to play the game based on the interpretation of the rules. And if that was the rule that was passed, you know, we'll find a different way. But I feel like if you can use it to your benefit, use it to your benefit. If you don't like it, my advice is to stop it, you know? "
Allen's view is not an uncommon one and has served as a consistent rebuttal to many of the arguments presented over the last few months. It seemed to land given the results of the vote.
It will be interesting to see if the MVP quarterback and his offense continue to Tush Push in 2025 given McDermott's public opposition. Allen seems to be in favor of continuing to use the play if the other side can't stop him.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Josh Allen Explains Why He Doesn't Think Tush Push Should Be Banned.
