The Philadelphia Eagles begin each set of downs with a benefit: the knowledge that if they reach fourth-and-short, they will achieve a first down.
“It’s first-and-9 every down,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said following Sunday night’s 31-17 victory over Miami. “Every first down, it’s first-and-9. Knowing that if you get to fourth-and-1, shoot, a lot of faith in that play. So, it was awesome. Again, Jason Kelce starts it off. Jalen Hurts was right there. Because you’ve seen it across the league that people can’t do it like we can do it. They can’t do it like we can do it.”
No, they simply cannot, as shown by the weekly incidents of people getting injured or failing while trying to execute the “Brotherly Shove”, “Tush Push”, or any other name you choose to give the unassailable quarterback sneak that the Eagles have mastered.
Nearly every week, there are debates about the potential banning of a play that gives Philly a significant edge in the NFL. However, the fact that other teams attempt to replicate the Eagles’ success and fail validates Sirianni’s argument against prohibiting a play just because one team excels at it.
“So, I’m making my appeal right there,” Sirianni carried on. “I mean, don’t outlaw this move. Seriously, if it was possible for everyone, they would definitely do it. Where’s the camera? If it was feasible for all, everyone would certainly do it.”
The benefits of the play for Philly were clearly evident on Sunday night.
With a seven-point lead against the dynamic Dolphins, Miami compelled a fourth-and-1 at the Eagles’ 26-yard-line. It can be assumed that in that situation, 99% of teams would choose to punt rather than risking handing over the ball to the opponent in a position they could score from in a seven-point game. However, Philly did not take the conventional approach.
Initially, Sirianni deployed his punting unit but after calling a timeout and reconsidering, he sent Hurts and the offense back out for the sneak. The tactic was successful, earning them a fresh set of downs.
Sirianni explained his need to call a timeout before making the decision, saying, “I wasn’t exactly sure of the down and distance. At first, I thought it was further back than it actually was. When I had a clear view of the spot, I didn’t like the fact that I had to call a timeout. I needed to get a second look at the spot. Initially, I thought it was two yards, but it was more like a yard.”
I reflected, considering the kind of players on our team, it would be insanity not to take the chance on fourth-and-1. It all comes down to the exceptional players we have and their ability to execute the play.
The thing about the Eagles’ push is that it’s so automatic, it would be insane for Sirianni not to leverage it to his benefit.
Three plays after converting at the 26, Philly faced another fourth-and-1 at the 37. Sirianni didn’t hesitate this time, calling the sneak to keep the drive alive. A few plays later, including a deep connection between Hurts and A.J. Brown, Kenneth Gainwell was dancing in the end zone after the game-sealing TD.
Instead of the Dolphins reclaiming the ball with approximately 10 minutes remaining and a seven-point deficit, Philly utilized the QB sneak to prolong the drive by an additional five minutes and increase their lead to 14. This is an advantage characteristic of a championship.
To stand a chance of getting Hurts and his team off the field, opponents know they must prevent the Eagles from reaching fourth-and-short.
