Latest news with #TushPush
USA Today
19 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
'It'll be good for us': Chiefs using Super Bowl 59 defeat as fuel
'It'll be good for us': Chiefs using Super Bowl 59 defeat as fuel Show Caption Hide Caption NFL keeps 'Tush Push' in play The NFL won't ban the 'Tush Push', keeping the Eagles' high-success play in the game—for now. Super Bowl 59 was a bit of an anomaly for some of the Kansas City Chiefs' younger players. The blowout loss was the first time the Chiefs 2022 draft class − players such as Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis and Isiah Pacheco − had ended the season in a defeat. 'It definitely serves as motivation going into the season. You never want to end the season like that,' Karlaftis said to reporters at OTAs this week. 'It's gonna be motivation for this year for sure.' Winning has become part of the norm during the Patrick Mahomes era in Kansas City. The franchise has won seven straight AFC West titles and three Super Bowl titles since Mahomes officially became the starter in 2018. (Last year was also the ninth consecutive division title captured by the team.) The franchise was a win away from an historic three-peat before it all came crashing down in New Orleans on Feb. 9. As the Chiefs take part in OTAs this offseason, they are using Super Bowl 59 loss as fuel. 'When you lose a Super Bowl, I think there's sometimes in those workouts, you may be a little tired, you have that extra added motivation to finish even harder, finish even stronger. I think it'll be good for us at the end of the day,' Mahomes explained. 'I mean, obviously looking back, you want to win the game. But a lot these guys hadn't lost one (Super Bowl), hadn't ended the season on a loss that are on this team now. So, I'm sure they'll be motivated to go back out there and try to find a way to get to the Super Bowl and win it this year.' Kansas City's offensive woes were a big reason why they were denied a third-straight Super Bowl title. Mahomes was sacked a career-high 36 times (including a single-game most six times in the Super Bowl), he averaged a career-low 245 passing yards per game and his 26 touchdowns passes equaled a career-low since he became the team's starter. But like any good franchise, the Chiefs responded accordingly. The Chiefs revamped their offensive line by signing tackle Jaylon Moore in free agency, they moved Kingsley Suamataia inside to left guard and drafted tackle Josh Simmons in the first round. Simmons, who suffered a knee injury during his final season at Ohio State, is ahead of schedule in his rehab and is expected to be ready by training camp. The Ohio State product didn't allow a sack before he went down and has impressed thus far in Kansas City. 'He's actually further ahead than I thought he was,' Chiefs coach Andy Reid said this week of Simmons. 'He's done a good job with what we've seen. We just got to get him in with the defense against him.' On the outside, wide receiver should get a major boast by Rashee Rice's return to health. When Rice was injured in Week 4, he entered the week as the NFL's leader in catches and was second in yards. Rice worked out with Mahomes before OTA's kicked off and is back to looking like a No. 1 wide receiver. 'He looks like Rashee (Rice). Obviously having the injury, it sucked," Mahomes said of Rice. "Happening so early in the season, he was back like right when the offseason started and so he was up here working hard – extremely hard and he was back home working extremely hard. I was throwing with him in Dallas a little bit and then getting him back out here, there's no limitations. He's out there playing, he's making plays on the football field, he's explosive, he looks fast. "I think he can be one of the best receivers in the league. Just to have him, to add with Xavier (Worthy) and Hollywood (Brown) and all these other guys that we have, it's another position I think (general manager Brett) Veach has done a great job of bringing in competition so that we can go out there and make a lot of plays happen.' The Chiefs want to make more big pays happen through the air this season. Mahomes told reporters Reid's advised him to push the ball downfield more this season after averaging a career-low 6.8 yards per pass attempt last year. Rice's return to action, alongside of speedsters Worthy and Brown should help the Chiefs become more explosive on offense. 'We're fast. I think that's probably the thing that stands out the most,' Mahomes said. 'Our job is to test the defenses down the field, and we have to get back to doing that if we want to open up other guys underneath. I think coach Reid has challenged me this offseason to push the ball down the field, let guys have chances to make plays and then once we get that back to where we want to in our standard that we believe we should have, then we can come back to the underneath stuff.' The Chiefs' leaky O-line and stagnant passing attack are the preeminent reasons why they lost Super Bowl 59. The team's making it known they are motivated to fix the areas this offseason. Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lions are the only team on the Eagles' schedule to vote against the 'Tush Push' ban
The old saying was that if you can't beat them, join them. In the NFL, teams that can't beat Philadelphia are banding together to conspire against Nick Sirianni's team via the rule book. The Eagles fought off a ban of their 'Tush Push' short-yardage play on Wednesday, which had decent help. According to Adam Schefter, the Ravens, Patriots, Jets, and Lions were among the ten teams that joined the Eagles in voting against the Packers' proposal. The numbers are in the details, meaning only one of Philadelphia's 14 opponents voted against the ban. Every other team scheduled to face the Super Bowl champions in 2025 voted to ban the play rather than figure out a way to stop the Tush Push. Advertisement The coaches who voted no to the ban, and their teams, share a similar approach to the NFL and the game of football. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh previously called it a football play, and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel stated that you can't ban a play for being hard to defend. Lions head coach Dan Campbell echoed Vrabel's opinion, and his former defensive coordinator and Jets head coach, Aaron Glenn, shared a similar view. Of the teams on the list, only Campbell will face the Eagles in 2025. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: All of Eagles' 2025 opponents, except one, voted to ban the Tush Push
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Eagles rival doubles down after previous statements about the Tush Push
Eagles rival doubles down after previous statements about the Tush Push Weeks after trash-talking the Eagles over the Tush Push, Frankie Luvu doubles down on his assertion that the play should be banned 'Cheapo'... That's how Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu described the Philadelphia Eagles' tush push. Months after one of the most bizarre and embarrassing sequences of the youngster's career, he was still angry and throwing darts during an appearance on NFL Network's Good Morning Football. "My personal opinion? I think they should ban it, but I know the argument's going to be about, 'Hey, you guys have to stop it. Don't get us in short yardage,' and whatnot, but it's kind of like a cheapo play... That's pretty much a scrum in rugby." Don't take anyone else's word for it. Take a look and listen for yourself. For those who may be unaware, Frankie's theory stems from the fourth quarter of the most recent NFC Championship Game, one where he was penalized on three consecutive snaps during a goal-to-go situation. Philadelphia lined up for the Brotherly Shove. Luvu attempted to guess the snap count. He was wrong... Three times... That led to one of the greatest (and most unexpected) calls in NFL history. Referee Shawn Hochuli finally issued his stark warning. "Washington has been advised that, at some point, the referee can award a score if this type of behavior happens again." Luvu chilled, Philadelphia scored on the next play, and stretched their lead to 41-23 with just over 12 minutes remaining. Four months have passed. It appears that Frankie is still angry. Frankie Luvu doubles down on his complaints of the Eagles' tush push. As we turn the calendar from May to June, much has changed since Philadelphia throttled the Commanders in the most recent NFC Championship Game. The league tried to ban the Eagles' infamous play. The Birds found nine allies to vote with them, and that ensured the tush push is still a legal play for the 2025 NFL season. Roger Goodell sounds salty, stating, "We'll see how it plays out this season.' Luvu has also doubled down, as he was still answering questions about this when the Commanders began OTAs. "I said what I said... You all caught that, right? It's easy to see what he meant. For now, the conversation doesn't seem like it's ending. Philadelphia sees its secret weapon as legalized aggression and flawless execution. Luvu and others know a rugby scrum and refuse to give the Eagles credit for mastering a legal play. There's one way to settle this: when Philadelphia and Washington renew unpleasantries on the gridiron. Mark those calendars. They meet in Week 16 and Week 18. Dates and times of those games have yet to be determined. One thing is sure. There isn't a Birds fan walking who won't be paying attention.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Desmond Watson, at last check 437 pounds, hungers to play in the NFL. Will his appetite prove to be his undoing?
That was what the 6-foot-6-inch, 437-pound Watson had to say about his 464-pound former self. He has trimmed 27 pounds from his beefier days at the University of Florida and made clear that he knows he has work to do, on the field, and particularly with those morning weigh-ins. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Can we all agree, despite what heavy hints of history provide on the subject, that this ends up in a good place for Watson? He's a local kid, grew up some 20 miles from Raymond James Stadium and said it's long been his dream to make it to the NFL. Safe travels, homeboy, for sure. Advertisement Yet the health risk here, the strain on heart, metabolism, knee joints, and psyche for someone so heavy is obvious and, at the very least, challenging. A typical sumo wrestler tips 'em at about 365 pounds. No one Watson's size ever seriously could have considered playing in the NFL. More doubtful any NFL team ever gave anyone of his girth a second thought of being employed beyond, say, a spot on field maintenance or game-day concessions. Advertisement No one in this year's NFL Draft felt Watson merited a pick, including the Patriots, The Buccaneers signed Watson as one of their 15 undrafted free agents, after seeing enough of him during four seasons at Gainesville to figure he's worth auditioning as a defensive tackle/run stopper. 'We didn't get him for the Tush Push,' said Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles. More promising, Bowles added that the Buccaneers feel no need — or perhaps see no viable path? — to get Watson immediately on the roster. They see him for what he is: a project, one who, by the way, topped everyone at the NFL Combine by bench pressing 225 pounds 36 times. He also ran a 5.93 in the 40-yard dash. He's not just the fat kid in the school marching band who thought, 'Gee, wouldn't it be cool to pull on a helmet?!' 'We really thought he could play,' Bowles said, 'we just have to see how long he can stay on the field.' Extra weight can be such a cruel demon, sometimes literally tearing up players and their careers from within body and mind. Exhibit A here in Boston: Red Sox third baseman Pablo 'Kung Fu Panda' Sandoval, who arrived here, age 28, from San Francisco ahead of the 2015 season as a big-smiling, big-contract (five years/$95 million) big personality, acquired to ensure the Sox extended their string of World Series titles. He already had three Series rings in his pocket. Advertisement Weight got the best of Sandoval. Frustrated by the size of his expanding waistline and his anorexic numbers at the plate, the Sox cut him free in July 2017, willing to eat the $48.3 million remaining on his deal. The Red Sox cut Pablo Sandoval free in July 2017, willing to eat the $48.3 million remaining on his deal. Jim Davis Today, age 38, Panda plays on — as an infielder with the Staten Island FerryHawks in the Atlantic League. Thorough Monday, he was hitting .255 with six homers and a team-high 25 RBIs in 26 games. The FerryHawks website listed their 5-10 former MLB star at 245 pounds. One of the NFL's more successful big men, William 'The Refrigerator' Perry, played defensive tackle, drafted by the Bears as a first-rounder out of Clemson in 1985, He was 6-3 and played at 335 pounds. New England fans of a certain age will recall his signature moment, crashing over the line as a fullback for a TD in the Bears' 46-10 humiliation of the Patriots in Super Bowl XX. William "The Refrigerator" Perry played 8½ seasons with the Bears. Anonymous/Associated Press Perry's battle of the bulge, along with various injuries, increasingly impaired his career, though perhaps not to Panda proportions. He played 8½ seasons with the Bears, and a late tour with the Eagles filled out a 10-year career — truly impressive longevity in the churn-and-burn NFL for a man of any size. In Philadelphia, he played closer to his college weight of 390. Post-career, the ever-smiling Perry ballooned into the mid-400 pounds and had at least one extended hospital stay for diabetes. He eventually became confined to a wheelchair, with his brother, ex-NFLer Michael Dean Perry, reportedly appointed his guardian and conservator. Advertisement Minicamp is a long, long way from any given Sunday, especially for undrafted free agents such as Desmond Watson. For today, he stands but a snap away from being yesterday's news or tomorrow's hero, placing him on even ground with everyone else in the NFL. We now begin to find out if he can balance 437 pounds in his favor or if his appetite proves to be his undoing. Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Joe Burrow blasts NFL for unfair Ravens rematch in Baltimore on Thanksgiving
Joe Burrow voices concerns about playing against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore for the fourth consecutive year Image via AP) Joe Burrow isn't holding back about the NFL's 2025 schedule. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is voicing frustration over having to face the Ravens in Baltimore for the fourth straight year — this time on Thanksgiving night — and his criticism has struck a chord with both fans and league officials. Joe Burrow calls out NFL over Ravens schedule as Bengals head to Baltimore for fourth straight year For the fourth consecutive year, Joe Burrow and the Bengals will travel to Baltimore to face off against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens — this time on Thanksgiving night in prime time. While the spotlight of a standalone holiday game might excite fans, Burrow is less than thrilled with the repeated road trip. 'Playing in Baltimore for the fourth straight prime-time year isn't ideal,' Burrow, 28, said during a recent interview, as reported by ESPN. 'Maybe we can get one of those in Cincinnati next year. Please.' Burrow's comments resonated beyond the locker room. Mike North, the NFL's vice president of broadcast planning and scheduling, addressed the quarterback's concerns directly, acknowledging the validity of the complaint. 'It's fair,' North said in an interview with the Bengals' team website. 'Once you start getting to the same thing three years in a row, four, or five years in a row — whether it's a short week Thursday on the road or opening on the road — when trends like that emerge, we probably have to adjust at some point.' Despite the scheduling gripe, North emphasized that the Thanksgiving night matchup was the result of what the league believed was the best overall schedule. He even joked about the reaction from fans, saying, 'I'm sure the Bengals fans are a little surprised and probably a little disappointed. Which puts them in the same category as all 31 other teams.' Cincinnati hasn't had much success recently against Baltimore, losing their last three matchups — including a heartbreaking 35–34 loss last season. Still, the chance to play under the national spotlight carries its own kind of weight. 'Playing on Thanksgiving night in a stand-alone game with the whole world watching, sitting on their couch, is really exciting,' Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told 'It's why you're in this business.' North, despite acknowledging the flaw, couldn't resist adding a playful note: 'I'm sure Bengals fans would have preferred it in Cincinnati, but it should be fun for you guys to ruin Baltimore's Thanksgiving.' Also Read: Was Jason Kelce the real reason the Tush Push survived? Inside his bold move to save the Eagles' signature play Whether or not the Bengals can deliver that upset remains to be seen — but Joe Burrow has already made sure the league knows he's ready for a little more home cooking next time.
