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NFL issues decisions on the Eagles’ “tush push,” per ESPN

Highlights: All of the Eagles' Tush Push plays from Sunday's win over Chiefs

The NFL has circulated a training tape and instructed officiating crews to “officiate it tight” on tush push situations, after acknowledging the Eagles should have been flagged for a false start during their 20–17 win over the Chiefs. The directive, sent midweek to all 32 clubs and officiating crews, was confirmed by ESPN reporter Tim McManus.

The training tape uses the late–fourth-quarter QB sneak on 3rd-and-short as the example: the league points out pre-snap movement by Philadelphia’s right guard before the ball was snapped—a violation that should have drawn a false-start flag. In that game, the Eagles ran the tush push six times, producing four first downs and one touchdown.

ESPN excerpt (Ramon George): “We want to officiate it tight … the offensive team has to be perfect in every aspect.” The line is used in the tape to emphasize that every pre-snap requirement will be scrutinized when both sides compress into tight formations.

This is not a rule change but an enforcement emphasis: the spring proposal to ban the tush push failed 22–10, two votes shy of the 24 required. Meanwhile, since 2022, the Eagles have converted 4th-and-1 via tush push at a 96.6% rate, which is why the play remains under the league’s brightest spotlight.

Practical implications in the short term: (1) Offenses—especially guards and the backfield “pushers”—must be fully set for at least one second, avoiding any hip flinch or weight shift before the snap; (2) Defenses can try to bait an offensive pre-snap foul with cadence and subtle movement, but face higher offsides risk in compressed fronts; (3) Debates will hinge on crew-to-crew consistency week to week, though “tight” enforcement likely means more pre-snap flags around tush push attempts.

After the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid acknowledged the possibility that a few Eagles QB sneaks may have been slightly early on the start, while Philadelphia signaled it will keep “playing Eagles football” yet respect the league’s new points of emphasis.

Eagles Head Coach Announces A.J. Brown To Start On The Bench For Standout Rookie After Poor Performance vs. Broncos
  Philadelphia, PA — the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach confirmed that A.J. Brown will start on the bench in Week 6 against the New York Giants, with the boundary starting spot going to rookie WR Taylor Morin—an undrafted signing out of Wake Forest who flashed through rookie camp and the preseason. The decision follows an underwhelming offensive showing against the Denver Broncos, where several snaps highlighted the unit being out of sync between Brown and Jalen Hurts. On a midfield option route, Hurts read Cover-2 and waited for an inside break into the soft spot, while Brown maintained a vertical stem and widened to the boundary to stretch the corner. The ball fell into empty space and the drive stalled. On a separate red-zone snap, a pre-snap hot-route signal wasn’t locked identically by the pair, resulting in a hurried throw that was broken up. The staff treated it as a reminder about route-depth precision, timing, and pre-snap communication—the micro-details that underpin the Eagles’ offense when January football arrives. Starting Morin is part of a plan to re-establish rhythm: the early script is expected to emphasize horizontal spacing, short choice/option concepts, and over routes off play-action to probe the Giants’ responses. Morin—who has shown strong hands in tight windows and clean timing in the preseason—should give the call sheet a steadier platform, while Brown will be “activated” in high-leverage downs such as 3rd-and-medium, two-minute, and red zone to maximize his body control, early separation, and the coverage gravity that can force New York to roll coverage. Facing the tough call, Brown kept his response brief but competitive:“I can’t accept letting a kid take my spot, but I respect his decision. Let’s see what we’re saying after the game. I’ll practice and wait for my chance. When the ball is in the air, everyone will know who I am.” Operationally, the staff is expected to streamline the call sheet between Hurts and Brown: standardize option-route depths, clearly flag hot signals, and increase game-speed reps in 7-on-7 and team periods so both are “seeing it the same and triggering the same.” Handing the start to Morin also resets the locker-room standard: every role is earned by tape and daily detail—even for a star of Brown’s caliber. If Brown converts the message into cleaner stems and precise landmarks—catching the ball at the spot and on time—the Eagles anticipate early returns: fewer dead drives, better red-zone execution when back-shoulder throws and choice routes are run “in the same language,” and an offense that regains tempo before taking on Big Blue. With Taylor Morin in the opening script, Philadelphia hopes the fresh piece is enough to jump-start the attack from the first series.