Steve Spagnuolo isn't trying to fool anyone when discussing Philadelphia Eagles' most dangerous weapon ahead of Super Bowl LIX
Steve Spagnuolo has become a postseason hero in the NFL world. He was the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants when he managed to stop the 2007 New England Patriots offense. He has been a huge, often overlooked, reason why the Kansas City Chiefs have won three Super Bowls with Patrick Mahomes, using timely […]
Steve Spagnuolo has become a postseason hero in the NFL world.
He was the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants when he managed to stop the 2007 New England Patriots offense. He has been a huge, often overlooked, reason why the Kansas City Chiefs have won three Super Bowls with Patrick Mahomes, using timely blitzes to frustrate the likes of Josh Allen, Brock Purdy, and Joe Burrow in the past.
But the Philadelphia Eagles' tush push? Spagnuolo's response was an honest one.
“I really don’t," Spagnuolo said when asked if he saw a way to stop the Eagles' infamous version of the quarterback sneak, via Henry McKenna.
Spags isn't alone. The Eagles' variation of a very common NFL play has confounded and frustrated NFL defensive coaches for years now.
When Philly lost center Jason Kelce, a franchise legend well before the team popularized the play, there were questions about what the success rate would look like for the team. They've been just fine. They've missed Jordan Mailata and even Jalen Hurts at times and for the most part, the play still works. Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee combined for five QB sneaks this season and they moved the chains four times.
People have tried to explain it but at the end of the day, the Eagles just do a heck of a job moving that pile. Jalen Hurts is only 10th in the NFL in success rate on quarterback sneaks, per Sports Info Solutions. But don't let that fool you. He's run it 35 times this season. Not one of the nine quarterbacks ranked above him ran it more than 13 times.
Hurts has produced the second-most EPA in QB sneaks, too, only behind Josh Allen (sorry Bills Mafia, that has to hurt considering how things ended a couple of weeks ago).
The play is so successful that the only explanation I can find for the rest of the NFL not being able to copy cat it just yet is they have yet to embrace it like Philly has. This team practices it in the offseason despite the risk that it entails at practice. They do it so often it's become second nature to them.
Coordinators, including Spags, have come to terms with the only way to stop the tush push: Don't let the Eagles get to short-yardage situations. Even then, in high-stakes scenarios, Philly can always run it back to back if a first down ends the game. Who cares if they don't get it the first time?
All I know is Jalen Hurts saying it's just a quarterback sneak is an understatement. It's a weapon that has forced NFL defensive coordinators, including the genius Spagnuolo, to waive the white flag and stop trying to stop it.
