Could the Vikings’ creative anti-Tush Push formation be NFL’s answer to Eagles?

Daniel Mader

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Could the Vikings’ creative anti-Tush Push formation be NFL’s answer to Eagles? image

The Philadelphia Eagles' "Tush Push" play has become a staple of their playbook. For years, it's becoming Nick Sirianni's go-to in short yardage situations, the closest thing to a guarantee that Philadelphia will pick up a first down, or a touchdown.

Plenty of other NFL teams and players have had their gripes about the play, but it's still around in the 2025 season — and the more time that passes, the more creative teams are getting in stopping the "Tush Push." The Minnesota Vikings took that to another level in Week 7.

Facing the Eagles at home, the Vikings had one of their players, Tyler Batty, completely lie down on the field right in front of the snap, attempting to keep Philadelphia from converting from one yard out.

Here's a look at Minnesota's unique defensive tactic to stop the "Tush Push," along with how successful Philadelphia's famous play typically is.

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What is the Tush Push?

The Tush Push is a play made famous by the Eagles, a variation of the quarterback sneak. Designed to convert on short-yardage situations, the entire offense lines up surrounding the snap, and players then push the quarterback over the line of scrimmage to the best of their ability.

Rather than moving the ball, the play virtually has the offense push the ball carrier to convert instead. The quarterback takes the snap, then immediately dives forward, being pushed by his teammates.

Philadelphia has utilized the play heavily over recent years, and while other teams do make attempts with the play, no other squads have regularly made it a part of their playbook to the extent of Sirianni's Eagles with Jalen Hurts being the ball carrier.

MORE: Ranking the best Eagles players of all-time

How Vikings defended the Tush Push

Teams are only growing more creative in ways to stop the Tush Push, which has a high success rate — especially when executed by the Eagles. What the Vikings tried on Sunday wasn't entirely new, but it was the latest unique defensive strategy to combat the Tush Push.

Part of the success of the Tush Push comes from Philadelphia's ability to get very low to the ground and drive itself forward as a unit, propelling Hurts foward. So, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores had one of his players get as low as possible — as in, there was a Vikings defender literally lying on the field sideways in front of the snap. The rest of the defense crowded around, including two interior lineman over the top of him.

Granted, the first time Minnesota showed that formation, Philadelphia had a false start, getting moved back five yards. The second time around, Hurts still picked up the first down despite the Vikings' unique defense on 4th & 1. 

So the Vikings' idea wasn't entirely successful, even if it provided a newer look:

Former Eagles center Jason Kelce, one of the key architects of the Tush Push prior to his retirement, chimed in on Minnesota's defense on social media.

"It’s [an] interesting strategy. Create a log jam at the point, then the other DTs jumped over, it almost worked," Kelce wrote on X. "I’d line up with an unbalanced line and just make the guard the center of the push though. I do like seeing innovative strategies to stop it."

Sunday also was not the first time the Eagles saw a similar anti-Tush Push strategy — back in Super Bowl 59, Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones did something very similar, lining up sideways over the center when Philadelphia was trying to score on the play.

It didn't work for Jones either, who was also injured on the play.

The Vikings' strategy of having a "low man" right in front of the snap may have given the Eagles a more unique challenge in powering through for a yard, it wasn't quite successful on Sunday. Philadelphia still managed to convert the Tush Push even with the defensive creativity. Still, it likely won't be the last time Sirianni deals with a unique answer to the play.

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Who was lying on the ground in Vikings' Tush Push defense?

In the Vikings' defense against the Tush Push in Week 7 against the Eagles, it was rookie linebacker Tyler Batty who lined up sideways, on the ground.

The undrafted linebacker out of BYU recently re-joined Minnesota off injured reserve, as he had been dealing with a knee injury during the preseason. 

MORE: Full breakdown of Carson Wentz's career stats, teams timeline

Eagles Tush Push success rate

According to CBS Sports, prior to the start of the 2025 season, the Eagles carried a 91.3 percent success rate using the Tush Push in 3rd & 1 and 4th & 1 situations since 2022, including the playoffs. That included a total of 92 attempts in that time frame.

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