Specifically, the Chiefs could be seen committing false starts on multiple occasions, especially when the Eagles ran their famed tush push play with Jalen Hurts rushing forward for a yard or two at a time.
After the game, Chiefs three-time All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones spoke up about what he felt were multiple missed calls by the referees.
“We think he jumped multiple times. An official didn’t see it so it wasn’t called.”
False start clear as day… @NFL @Chiefs @Eagles #tushpush pic.twitter.com/MydP0q7Eev
https://twitter.com/stevenonda_x/status/1967360665758437836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1967360665758437836%7Ctwgr%5Eccd88bfa41ff3917019727acb080e0a9d9ba0e51%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbreakingnews.azontree.com%2F%3Fp%3D32749
Defending Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the rest of the Eagles’ offense is tough enough when you play by the rules. But when defenses don’t know when they can start and stop? We can’t imagine the difficulty involved with trying to create leverage when you’re constantly caught off guard, not knowing when the play officially starts.
Usually, plays kick off when the ball is snapped, but on Sunday, members of the Eagles’ offensive line got away with moving early. Other coaches will surely relay this information along to referees working Eagles games in the future, hoping it helps a few extra calls go their way.
The bigger question is whether the Eagles will actually be flagged appropriately for committing false starts, or if the league will continue turning a blind eye to a team blatantly breaking the rules. If more moments like this emerge, it won’t be long until the tush push play gets banned for good.
