Mike Tomlin is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NFL. His streak of winning seasons is talked about often. One of the reasons for his longevity is his ability to solve opposing offenses. He has a tough test this week against the Philadelphia Eagles. The “Tush Push” has been one of the most automatic plays over the past three seasons. Whenever the Eagles are in a short-yardage situation, they run this play and are successful over 90% of the time. Tomlin was asked what he plans to do about it, and his answer was very simple.
Mike Tomlin On Stopping The “Tush Push”
Mike Tomlin has a very simple plan: avoid the “Tush Push” altogether. “And so the bottom line from a defensive perspective is that you better stay out of those circumstances,” Tomlin told Steelers.com. It seems like a sound strategy. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has a league-leading 34 carries when the offense needs one yard. He’s converted 28 times. Philadelphia has run this play to perfection over the past three years. It has been a topic of discussion every offseason, but the NFL has ruled it a legal play.
Mike Tomlin acknowledged that avoiding short-yardage situations on defense is the strategy for any offense. “The vast majority of offenses are going to win the vast majority of those short-yardage plays, whether they’re using the tush push or not.” The Pittsburgh Steelers have the players in the front seven to give the Eagles some trouble. However, keeping any offense in third and long situations is a good recipe for winning.
Stopping An Unstoppable Play
It’s important to note the play isn’t completely unstoppable. Teams are getting smarter with how to defend it. The Eagles excel on early downs to put themselves into these situations. Saquon Barkley might break the single-season rushing record. He often picks up five or more yards on first down, putting Philadelphia ahead of the sticks. There are plenty of other weapons that make it difficult to contain this offense.
If there’s a team that can slow things down, it is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike Tomlin has coached in big games before. Furthermore, there are plenty of other plays the coaching staff can focus on stopping. While Tomlin’s answer seems a little tongue-in-cheek, staying away from it completely is the best answer.
Huge Matchup
The Steelers vs. Eagles matchup has some massive playoff implications. The Steelers are fighting for playoff positioning with the Buffalo Bills. In the AFC, there is a huge difference between the two seed and the three seed. In the NFC, the Eagles are still chasing the Detroit Lions. If the Lions lose and the Eagles win, they both have identical records with a handful of games to go. The bye week and home-field advantage would be huge for this team.
Final Thoughts
Mike Tomlin has secured another winning season. Russell Wilson has revived his career and looks in command of the offense. TJ Watt and the rest of the defense make big plays when it counts. Can they slow down the Eagles’ offense and pick up a huge road win?
