Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts commented on the naming convention for the Eagles’ “Tush Push” play during Super Bowl LIX media availability on Monday, Feb. 3.
“You call it that. I call it the quarterback sneak. I keep it very standard,” he said.
The “Tush Push” has remained a successful play for the Eagles since its introduction in 2022. The play is a quarterback sneak in which a running back or running backs push the quarterback forward down the field from behind. Although it has been referred to colloquially as the “Brotherly Shove,” the name “Tush Push” has held. The Buffalo Bills have also adopted this play from the Eagles.
In an interview with the PRO Football & Sports Network, former NFL All-Pro Greg Olsen further breaks down the Eagles’ advantage with this play.
“Their greatest advantage of why they can play with an extra down is, yes, the tush push… Now, on third and 5, I can hand it to Saquon Barkley. If he gets six or more, great, but if he gets three or four, everyone on the sideline, everyone in the stadium, knows exactly what we’re going to do, and you can’t stop us.”
NBC10 News Philadelphia shared a video of famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explaining the physics behind the “Tush Push,” “Brotherly Shove,” quarterback sneak, or whatever you want to call it.
“The Eagles have the advantage because they’re hiking. The Eagles get like a quarter-second head start in momentum transfer. They are using Earth as a launch point for their movement,” he said. “Force equals the mass times the acceleration. And what that means is the bigger the mass, the bigger the force you will need to create the acceleration. The guys who are connected to the Earth — their mass includes that of the Earth.”
When the Eagles take to the field against the Kansas City Chiefs on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9, their offensive line will be the heaviest ever in a Super Bowl. According to the news report, the Eagles average about 340 pounds per player.