"We’re coaching it the same way": Nick Sirianni refuses to budge on Eagles' tush push play as NFL rolls out officiating instruction

Nick Sirianni and his team have received considerable scrutiny throughout the week for the controversial tush push against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. The Philadelphia Eagles secured a 20-17 win in the Super Bowl LIX rematch, but the play has been widely criticized.

Replays showed the officials failed to call a false start in the tush push play, which resulted in a touchdown for the Eagles. The rugby scrum-like play, also known as brotherly shove, itself is controversial as critics argue it's unsafe and lacks skills, but it remains legal in the NFL.

However, the NFL’s training video for officials this week had a handful of such plays, with instructions to ensure every aspect of them is legal. In his press conference on Friday, Nick Sirianni was questioned about potential changes for his team given official emphasis on the play.

“You just address it, and you work on it like you do with every play of playing to the rules of the game,” Sirianni said, via a transcript from the team. “I mean that’s something that we talk about all the time, formationally, snap count-wise, offensively, is what I’m saying. Defense-wise, being onside, all those different things.

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“So, the same way you do all those things. I know there’s a lot of chatter and hype about the play, but we’re coaching it the same way we always coach it, and we know we have to be right, not only on that play, but with all our plays.”

Nick Sirianni explains how his relationship with officials on the sideline has evolved

Nick Sirianni got his first head coaching job with the Eagles in 2021 after several years as an assistant in a host of destinations. Now in his fifth season, he's definitely had a lot of encounters with officials on the sideline. He discussed how the relationship with the officials has evolved on Friday.

“I really respect how hard their job is and the job that they have to do,” Sirianni said. “And nobody's high-fiving a referee after a play or whatever it is and saying, ‘Great, cool.’ I guess maybe sometimes if you're on the benefit of it. But they have a really hard job. “Obviously, I'm emotional on the sideline. And I think throughout the years, I've come to understand more and more how hard their job is. They're not getting any love or anything like that. So that doesn't mean like in the heat of the moment, there's not an argument about a call.”

Nick Sirianni hopes his team makes it a 3-0 start to the season when they host the LA Rams, who are also undefeated, on Sunday. Without a doubt, a lot of eyes will be on the team in the game after last week's controversial play.

Edited by Farouk Yusuf