The Philadelphia Eagles have thrived off a play that’s generated controversy around the NFL over the last year or so: the ‘tush push’. Essentially, the entire offense lines up for a QB sneak, with skill position players pushing quarterback Jalen Hurts from behind. With how effective the Eagles’ offensive line is, the play has been proven borderline unstoppable. This past offseason, there was a vote around the NFL in terms of banning the play. However, not enough teams voted to get rid of it, so the play remained legal.

Now, after Philadelphia’s 20-17 victory on Sunday over the Kansas City Chiefs, new backlash over the tush push is arising. On the goal line late in the game, the Eagles utilized the play to get into the end zone. However, in replay, the offensive line may have committed a false start, but it went uncalled. Insiders and fans around the country are now putting the play on blast, as it’s extremely difficult to officiate. If the Eagles can consistently get away with a false start while using the tush push, the play will become even harder to counter.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter recently berated the tush push on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “The biggest thing here to me is this game was lost in March,” Schefter said Monday on “Get Up.” “This game was lost when the NFL owners refused to ban the tush push. It wasn’t lost yesterday. It was lost in March!” Schefter is referring to when owners around the league opted to keep the play in the rulebook, which was back in March. 

It’s now looking more and more likely that the tush push will eventually be banned, as the officiating difficulty it presents is sparking widespread frustration around the league. Interestingly, it’s a play that any team can master in theory. Just line everyone up on a quarterback, sneak and… push. How much longer the tush push will last is unknown, but there’s a good chance its days are numbered after the missed false start on Sunday.