Crossing Broad
Sean McDermott thinks the tush push is a health and safety risk:
Bills HC Sean McDermott “Not in Love” with Eagles Tush Push
“There has always been an injury risk with that play & I’ve expressed that opinion for the last couple of years… the techniques used with that play have been potentially contrary to the health and safety of the… pic.twitter.com/UcUsBrOyoT
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) February 25, 2025
“To me there has always been an injury risk with that play. And I’ve expressed that opinion for the last couple of years or so when it really started to come into play, the way it’s being used, especially a year ago. I just feel like player safety has to be at the top of our game, which it is. It’s just that play to me, or the techniques used with that play have always been potentially contrary to the health and safety of the players. You have to go back, in fairness, to the injury data on the play. But I just think the optics of it, I’m not in love with.”
First of all, this makes no sense because the Bills also run the play and are second in total attempts behind only the Eagles. They ran it AGAINST the Eagles last year and they used it a bunch of times in the AFC Championship Game, notably on the key play that resulted in a highly-controversial spotting of the ball.
So you could ask yourself, if the “optics” aren’t good, and it’s a health and safety issue, then why are you doing it? If you’re worried about Josh Allen going down, then hand the ball to James Cook or run a regular QB sneak or call a short-yardage passing play instead. What McDermott is saying in that answer is antithetical.
He refers to the “injury data on the play,” which does not exist because of the infrequency of usage. We saw Chris Jones injure his neck in the Super Bowl, probably because he lined up sideways. Jordan Mailata was caught on camera saying he hates the push, probably because he gets squashed in the pile. But there’s no data saying it is more or less dangerous than any other NFL play, in which the world’s best athletes are engaging in high-speed collisions in the open field.
This answer is disappointing because McDermott is a local guy who went to North Penn before enrolling at La Salle College High School. He coached on Andy Reid’s Eagles staff. His brother is the Philadelphia Union’s Chief Business Officer. You’d think McDermott would be a “Philly guy” who gets it, but alas he does not. He is now the second-most disgraceful NFL head coach to come from the Lansdale area, behind Joe Judge.
The post Sean McDermott’s Stance on the Tush Push Makes No Sense Whatsoever appeared first on Crossing Broad.
