When the New York Giants square off against the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 season, as early as Week 6, the Giants defense will be put to the test against their long-standing foes in more ways than one.
Aside from the fact that the Eagles are the reigning Super Bowl champions heading into the season—and that the Giants will once again face their old friend-turned-rival Saquon Barkley, who’s coming off one of the greatest seasons ever for a running back—there’s plenty on the line. The Giants are simply trying to get back to being a relevant and competent NFL team, something they rarely looked like in 2024. And on top of all that, they’ll also have to deal with one of the Eagles’ most infamous plays: the tush push.
During their offseason meetings, NFL owners met in Minnesota and voted on whether the Eagles’ tush push play should be banned. The vote fell two teams short, meaning the play will remain legal heading into the 2025 season.
Fans were hopeful the Eagles would be stripped of a play that has been a highly effective part of their offense for quite some time. Apparently, 22 teams felt the same, but 10 did not — which is why the play remains legal and part of the Eagles’ offensive repertoire. The Giants will once again have to game plan and prepare for it, starting in Week 6 when they face the Eagles for the first time in 2025. So far, the Giants haven’t had much success stopping the tush push.
The Giants have reloaded and revamped their defense from a season ago — a unit that excelled at rushing the passer but struggled against the run. One of their biggest offseason additions was third-round pick Darius Alexander, a defensive lineman who should thrive playing alongside Dexter Lawrence, arguably the best interior defensive lineman in the league. Before Lawrence was lost for the season back in November, the Giants’ pass rush led the league. His return is a major boost and will be key to stopping the Eagles in 2025 — especially when it comes to halting the tush push.
With the tush push a legal play and still part of the Eagles’ offense, it’s now up to Shane Bowen and every other opposing defensive coordinator to figure out how to stop it. The Eagles’ offensive line is considered an elite one that knows how to get a push and create leverage. Now it’s up to opposing defensive fronts and defensive lines to figure out how to stop it.
Some teams have tried to stop it. Many haven’t succeeded. What needs to happen is teams must force the Eagles into situations where they can’t use the play — or put their biggest men on the line and push back. Not every single tush push has been successful if you time it right and stop it in the moment.
Jumping the line and timing the count can only go so far as fans saw in the NFC Championship Game when the Washington Commanders were flagged several times in a row for offsides while trying to stop the play. Eventually, teams are going to have to figure out another strategy against it.
And since the play is still legal, it’s something Shane Bowen and Brian Daboll will have to contend with and figure out how to stop when they face the defending champions again in 2025. Their newly revamped defense will be put to the test against that Eagles offense, and whether they can stop a play the owners couldn’t in a boardroom vote.
It’s quite simple: stop it on the field, and eventually, the play goes away. Until then, good luck game-planning to stop it.