Whether the tush push is banned or not, the Ram still have to play ball

Sean McVay may not love the tush push, but he also may have to keep living with it

There has been ample talk through league meetings about whether or not to ban the tush push, and the result will be the result, either the NFL limits/removes the play or they don’t. All 32 teams still have games to play regardless of any changes or lack thereof.

On the one hand you have Sean McVay and plenty of teams saying that the play isn’t safe, and or that it’s not football. On the other hand, you have the Philadelphia Eagles saying, “What’s the big deal?”

You have both sides of the aisle apparently getting animated as they try to figure out how to move forward and discuss if the play should be banned and or altered.

Is the play unsafe?

My understanding is the data is inconclusive about whether the tush push is more dangerous than other plays, so I don’t think that argument can play in its current state.

Some say banning the play would be a proactive way to avoid injury, but let’s be honest: If the NFL put player safety first, then this sport wouldn’t exist. I love football, but player safety isn’t the priority of the NFL. It is important? We hope so, but THE priority of the league? This is a business; money is the priority. And for coaches, winning is the goal at all costs.

Does it look like a football play?

To me, the tush push, however ugly it is, is a football play.

Disagree with me, I encourage that. Then I’ll ask, what is a football play? In a world of double reverses, wide receiver passes, quarterback sneaks, the wild-cat formation and more, how do you define a football play?

Football has elements of basketball, such as when a player high points a ball in the end zone, it has elements of baseball such as when a quarterback side arms a pass like a shortstop, football has elements of rugby all over it from the kickoff to the much-maligned tush push.

The rules are the rules, and for the past few seasons the tush push may not look like a football play to you, but there was a time when the forward pass wasn’t a football play either. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Competitive advantage

The Eagles have a quarterback who can squat a house, and perhaps the best offensive line and running back in the NFL. They have a competitive advantage with the tush push through their draft and free agency process, their players working on the formation and developing the needed traits to pull it off, but the Eagles also thought of this play and integrated it into their identity.

I don’t see any cheating here. I see a team working within the rules, and coming up with a brilliant play.

What if the push is banned?

In the same way that I would tell those against the tush push to, “get over it.” I say the same to the Eagles. If the play is kept, then keep using it, and if it’s banned then it’s banned. The Eagles still have plenty of ways to win without the tush push. No one other than the team and their fans will feel sorry for them.

Either the play gets banned or it doesn’t

On some level I don’t really care what happens. Either it’s limited/banned or it’s not. I’ll still watch football, and I assume the Los Angeles Rams, the Eagles and the rest will still play football.

One of my favorite scenes in The Wire is when the vicious Marlo tells someone to either commit a violent act or not. “Do it, or don’t, but I got someplace to be.” he says.

Ban it or don’t, I have games to watch.