Tush Push Evolves; League Debates Enforcement

The Philadelphia Eagles used two deceptive variations of the 'tush push' — an underhand pass to Dallas Goedert and a surprise handoff to Saquon Barkley — to score touchdowns in a 31-25 win over the Buccaneers. Coach Nick Sirianni defended the play as exciting and popular with fans, and the gimmick has appeared in advertising and social media. The play remains contentious leaguewide: a Packers proposal to ban the push fell short by two owner votes, and the NFL has sent memos instructing officials to treat the formation as “tight.” Some defenses have responded with an illegal tactic called “disconcerting signals” — designed to mimic or disrupt the snap cadence and carrying a 15-yard penalty under Rule 12 — but officials say it is difficult to police in noisy stadiums and it has not been a point of emphasis; former officiating leaders have urged stricter enforcement or a ban and clubs and officials continue to debate how to handle it. Separately, Week 3 produced an unusual spike in blocked kicks that special-teams coaches attribute in part to teams reallocating practice time to the NFL’s new dynamic kickoff phase, leaving more protection breakdowns on field goals and punts.