Line up, push and pray.
When it comes to stopping the Philadelphia Eagles’ punishing quarterback sneak — dubbed “the tush push” for the unique way players line up behind quarterback Jalen Hurts to push him forward — the Kansas City Chiefs acknowledge they’re not sure if they have the answers entering Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.
“It just comes down to sheer will,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “They've found a way to out-will people on that particular play.”
It resembles a rugby-like scrum when Hurts goes under center and teammates position themselves behind either hip. Lunging forward in a mass of humanity that could reach more than 3,000 pounds, the Eagles have dominated short-yardage situations and goal-line opportunities since they debuted the play in 2022 behind then-center Jason Kelce.
Even with Kelce retired, the Eagles have found success following Hurts and new center Cam Jurgens. Hurts, who famously squatted 600 pounds while at Alabama, led all NFL quarterbacks with 14 rushing touchdowns during the regular season. He has four rushing touchdowns in the postseason.
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The Eagles rushed 10 times on fourth-and-one during the regular season and converted on 90% of the attempts.
To Spagnuolo, the way to defend the infamous sneak is to not defend it at all.
“The best one I got is don't let them get into third- and fourth-and one,” the four-time Super Bowl winning coach said.
If there’s any defensive front that could stop the play, the Chiefs are perhaps the most suited. Lineman Chris Jones, the Chiefs' anchor in the middle, earned his third consecutive first-team All-Pro honor with five sacks, nine tackles for lost yardage and 20 quarterback hits.
Read more: Offenses fear Chiefs' Chris Jones; Eagles' Jalen Carter could disrupt Super Bowl plans
They stopped 6-foot-5, 240-pound Bills quarterback Josh Allen three times on five quarterback sneak attempts during the AFC championship game. The Chiefs ranked eighth in the NFL during the regular season, allowing 101.8 yards rushing per game. Their 4.1 yards allowed per carry was tied for fourth-best in the league.
Copycats have attempted similar versions of the sneak, for instance the larger Allen lining up and getting a push on his attempts. The Baltimore Ravens have run a variation with tight end Mark Andrews as the ball carrier.
It's different against the Eagles, who have a massive offensive line bookended by 6-foot-8, 365-pound left tackle Jordan Mailata and 6-6, 325-pound right tackle Lane Johnson. The play has been so effective that some have called for banning the unique formation.
“We’re successful at it because of the guys we have up front,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters at the team hotel Thursday.
Read more: Nick Sirianni's experiences at Mount Union helped him climb mountaintop with Eagles
The NFL has evaluated the play, amending it before this season. Players lined up behind the quarterback have to be at least one yard behind the teammate receiving the snap.
To Jones, the changes shouldn’t stop there.
“They need to make the game even for us,” Jones said sarcastically. “Yeah, ban the play.”
Rams, not Eagles, down under
Mailata, who hails from Australia, was disappointed the Eagles were not selected to play the first game in his homeland.
The NFL announced Wednesday that the Rams will play in Melbourne in 2026.
“The Rams fans don’t have much to travel from, just across the pond,” Mailata quipped. “It’s only 14½ hours, so they got lucky there.”
Mailata, whose hometown near Sydney is nearly nine hours from Melbourne by car, said it “would have been cool” if the Eagles were making the trip.
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“I’m not going to lie — I’m gutted,” he said, adding that he was happy the league is expanding the sport.
With Mailata on the roster, the Eagles have grown in popularity in Australia but their East Coast location does not help.
“The three major teams would probably be, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, Dallas Cowboys, L.A. Rams and San Francisco 49ers are the three big teams back home,” he said. “Now there’s been a sudden surge of Philadelphia Eagles fans. But in all honesty those are the three teams that dominate the market down there.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
