Thus far in the early portion of the NFL offseason, one of the biggest topics has been about a proposed ban on the Philadelphia Eagles’ famed “tush push” play, with several media members speaking out either for or against the play.
While some like CBS NFL play-by-play broadcaster Jim Nantz would like to see the play banned, others like Adam Schefter and Ryan Clark seem to believe that banning a play that any team could logistically do is a ridiculous concept.
NFL Network host Colleen Wolfe, who is from Horsham, Pennsylvania, just 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia, will be the first one to admit that her allegiances lie with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday, Wolfe outlined how her fandom of the Eagles plays no factor on her opinion of the Tush Push, aligning with Schefter and Clark in their criticism of those who want to see banned.
“Well, it’s kind of crazy because I am aligned on both fronts as the host at NFL Network and as Colleen Wolfe from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Are you kidding me? We’re really going to penalize the Eagles for being incredibly good at this play? And just because other teams can’t stop it, they want to disallow it. That’s ridiculous,” said Wolfe.
“Todd Bowles even said, it’s up to defensive coaches and defensive players to stop the push-push from working. And if you can’t do it, then that’s your problem. But the Eagles have figured out how to execute a play perfectly and make it their own. So I don’t think that now they should have to not do it anymore and it be banned from the league. Come on, let’s get better at defending it. How about that?”
The proposed ban, which was prompted by the Green Bay Packers organization, does have its fair share of support around the NFL.
Particularly, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who is one of four NFL coaches on the NFL competition committee, has also openly spoken about wanting the play banned, as he believes that it is a risk to player’s safety on both sides of the ball.
Wolfe also addressed McDermott’s stance on the matter, which she believes is a bit hypocritical because the Bills actually ran the play the second most this past season behind the Eagles.
“It’s hypocritical for Sean McDermott to want this play to be banned when he uses it so much,” added Wolfe. “But you know what? Why don’t you come up with a play that can’t be stopped either? Why don’t you defy physics? The Eagles did it, so you can, too.”
Only time will tell whether more teams around the league jump on the movement to get the play banned. But clearly, Wolfe believes that there may be jealousy at play over just how well the Eagles have executed the play over the years.