Why Bills voted to ban the Tush Push before it helped Josh Allen score game-winning TD in playoff game

Teddy Ricketson

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Why Bills voted to ban the Tush Push before it helped Josh Allen score game-winning TD in playoff game image

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. 

The Buffalo Bills advanced to the Divisional Round of the 2026 NFL playoffs with a comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bills' win went viral on social media, but not because the internet was so thrilled with the performance and the fact that Buffalo was advancing. 

Instead, it was how Buffalo beat Jacksonville that was being scrutinized. 

A strong talking point for the past year has been about the tush push formation. The Philadelphia Eagles perfected it to the point that teams around the league wanted it banned. Not only was it tough to stop, but it was shown to be nearly impossible to officiate with replays showing consistently that the offense either lined up in the neutral zone or had an uncalled false start.

A vote was held at the league meetings in Spring 2025 to ban the tush push. The Bills were one of the teams that voted to ban it, yet the game-winning touchdown that Buffalo scored over Jacksonville was from the very play they voted to ban.

Here is more on the Bills' usage of the tush push in their Wild Card win over the Jaguars. 

MORE: Who do Bills play next?

Bills tush push, explained

The Bills ran the tush push four different times in the fourth quarter of their wild-card game against the Jaguars. During one of them, Allen was basically carried 10 yards by the offensive line. He was short of the goal line, but the refs ruled it a touchdown. Because the officials were wrong, there was by-rule a 10-second runoff. Jacksonville had to use its last timeout to avoid the run off. Allen then ran another tush push and scored what ended up being the game-winning touchdown. 

MORE: Bills QB Josh Allen battles through multiple injuries in win vs. Jaguars

Which teams voted to ban the tush push?

Rule changes in the NFL require the approval of 24 teams. While it seemed the tush push would surely be banned, it was a surprise when only 22 teams voted for the ban. 

  • Buffalo Bills
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Chicago Bears
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Denver Broncos
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • New York Giants
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Washington Commanders

MORE: Tony Romo's job called into question after rough CBS broadcast of Bills-Jaguars

Which teams voted to keep the tush push?

Here are the teams that voted to keep the tush push.

  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • New York Jets
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Detroit Lions
  • New England Patriots
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Miami Dolphins
  • New Orleans Saints
  • Tennessee Titans

MORE: Revisiting Eagles 'Tush Push' timeline

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