Look out, Eagles fans.
The Bucs recently signed an undrafted free agent who could be an absolute beast in the NFL for years. Although questions about his conditioning and fitness are swirling, this defensive tackle will be paired with veteran Vita Vea to hone his craft. Who is this quarterback nightmare, and why should the Eagles be worried?
The Eagles stomped their opponents this season. Combining a stellar WR duo with the league’s best running back, Philly’s offense dominated in the regular season. This success continued into the postseason, where they knocked off the reigning champ Chiefs in a lopsided Super Bowl contest.
Their defense, however, departed with many key pieces after the Super Bowl LIX victory. Just this off-season, the Eagles said goodbye to Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Isaiah Rodgers, Darius Slay, and C.J Gardner-Johnson. It’s safe to say that their defense is a bit patchy now, and the Eagles’ offense will likely have to put this team on its shoulders if they want to repeat a Super Bowl.
One of the Eagles’ offense’s trademarks is the “Tush Push.” Also known as the “brotherly shove”, this adaptation of a QB sneak brings the Eagles into something like a victory formation. From there, quarterback Jalen Hurts takes the snap and gets pushed by the snug backs behind him, while the linemen all attempt a cut block.
This play converted goal-line attempts and 4th-and-inches attempts at a historic rate. They were able to convert on around 86% of these attempts, compared to a league average of around 76%. This major jump in success led to a lot of league controversy, including numerous teams, like the Packers, proposing a rule change to ban the play.
Other teams, like the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Chicago Bears, were also openly against the QB-sneak-esque play.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles, however, went on record to say he had nothing against it, and he appreciated the creativity.
“The safety of it’s always going to be a question because it’s a rugby style of play, but I have nothing against it. You found guys that are being creative, and found the niche and how to gain an edge in this league, and that is what we as coaches try and do on a daily basis.”
So now it’s up to defensive coaches to try and gain an edge to try and stop it, so that’s the challenge of it every time somebody brings something new, whether it’s offense or defense, so I’m all for it that way. Again, nobody’s been seriously hurt at this time but you got to figure out how to stop it if you’re going to stop it.”
-Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers HC
Bowles seems to believe the Eagles’ trademark is entirely fair, and it’s on the defense to stop it. That is exactly what Tampa Bay will aim to do when they face off with Philly in Week 4 of the 2025 season. Their most recent undrafted free agent signing will be a “huge” help.
Former Florida defensive tackle Desmond Watson is a unit; he checks in at 6’6, 464 lbs. Paired with Vita Vea up front at DT, the duo combines to over 800 lbs. That is not a typo.
After the retirement of Jason Kelce, the Eagles do not have the same strength at their interior lineman spots that they used to. IT seems a bit far-fetched to expect three interior lineman to push 800 pounds without allowing any other sort of leakage that would blow up the play.
Combining two massive humans to occupy the gaps against the “Tush Push” might be the solution. Of course, only time will tell Watson’s efficiency in the NFL, but taking a shot on a guy who reps 225 on the bench for 36 reps seems like a fair idea.
Tampa’s experimental signing could be the start of a trend. Will more NFL teams go after pure size prospects rather than fully rounded players to aid their run defense? Better yet, will NFC East teams sign giant DTs to stop seeing Jalen Hurts conversions in their nightmares?
The Buccaneers are looking to repeat in the NFC South. The Eagles are looking to repeat in the Super Bowl. Both teams are looking to dominate in the NFC. Only time will tell how well the Buccaneers’ newest addition can stop the tush push. Eyes around the league will tune into this Week 4 matchup, as teams are searching desperately for the Eagles’ kryptonite.
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