The Philadelphia Eagles have the best record, 10-1, through 12 weeks of the 2023 NFL season, and one of the many drivers of their success is their fourth-down efficiency. They convert fourth downs to first downs at a league-best conversion rate of 76.5% while no other team has a percentage in the 70's.
A key component to that NFL-best success is how effective the Eagles are at utilizing the rugby-style, "Tush Push" quarterback sneak play. They convert third or fourth downs to first downs or goal line plays to touchdowns while using that play 86.2% of the time. The rest of the NFL is barely above a 70% success rate on the play.
"Every first down, it's first-and-nine," Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said after a 31-17 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 7 in which the team successfully used the play on fourth-and-1 at their own 26. "Knowing that if you get to fourth-and-1, shoot, a lot of faith in that play.''
However, that play may no longer be in their arsenal as soon as next season if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's wishes are granted, according to The Athletic.
The NFL's competition committee will meet in the offseason to discuss if it should remain a part of the game. Last offseason, the committee opted to allow the play to remain a part of NFL. Sirianni's argument for why the play should stay is simple: it's a play that involves a ton of skill given the varying degrees of success when using it among the NFL's 32 teams.
