Getty Kansas City Chiefs superstar Chris Jones has a plan for the Philadelphia Eagles’ “Brotherly Shove.”
The Philadelphia Eagles’ “Brotherly Shove” – formerly known as the “Tush Push” – has taken the NFL by storm. Luckily for the Kansas City Chiefs, superstar defender Chris Jones has a theory on how to stop the most successful one-yard conversion in sports.
“It hasn’t been stopped all year, but we have a plan for it,” Jones told Rich Eisen during a Nov. 16 interview on The Rich Eisen Show — although the host noted that the play was “seemingly unstoppable.”
Jones continued and revealed some details of his preparation for the Brotherly Shove. “We’re going to watch a few rugby games,” he said, “and I have a rugby friend – I can’t reveal his name – but I have a rugby friend who has given me a few little pointers about what to do “Stop it.”
A football star calling a rugby player and asking him for tips on an NFL maneuver is unique to say the least. Eisen even made sure Jones was serious, to which the Chiefs killjoy replied, with as serious a face as ever, “I’m not kidding.”
Eisen also jokingly questioned whether these “clues” concerned anything that normally happens in the heart of a rugby scrum, but Jones refused to divulge any further information. “I can’t say,” he replied with a smile. “I can not say that.”
Eagles center Jason Kelce explains why “Brotherly Shove” works so well for Philadelphia
Jason Kelce, the older brother of Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce, is heavily involved in the Brotherly Shove – which shouldn’t be a surprise considering Kelce may be the best center in the entire NFL.
The other key player is quarterback Jalen Hurts, although there’s more to it than the center-QB duo in Philly. During an interview with Steve Wyche and The NFL Report, Jason Kelce explained why the Eagles have had so much success with this play that looks simple but is anything but.
“We repeated it many times,” Kelce admitted on Oct. 26. “It’s not uncommon to fudge a snap in a quarterback sneak.”
Further: “As soon as the ball moves, you move forward or change your leverage and lean down. And the quarterback is already on his way to be able to start the kickoff.”
Based on this explanation, the execution of this play appears to depend on timing, unity and trust between center and quarterback.
At that point, Kelce warned, “If you don’t repeat that exact mechanic and suddenly do it for the first time in a game, it’s going to feel strange.”
“So, it’s important [as the center]… to really get this feeling under control [QB]”It’s not just the center quarterback, it affects everyone across the board. How we hit the blocks, where we start, where we set the point, who’s working with who. Honestly, I think that we have a head start on many details and small things because that’s just how we control the piece.”
Kelce also confirmed that the reps in the Brotherly Shove/Tush Push are “significant,” and that’s one of the reasons most opponents have a hard time preparing for it.
Chris Jones calls Chiefs defensive line a ‘selfless group’
Jones was busy on November 16th. Not only did he meet with Eisen, but the defensive team leader also spoke to the KC media.
“This is a selfless group,” he said when discussing the Chiefs’ defensive line in 2023. “It’s not about names, it’s not about numbers.”
Jones used Quinnen Williams of the New York Jets to illustrate his point.
“He makes everyone around him better,” Jones said of Williams. “That’s how I see it. It’s not about statistics highlighting the importance [players like Mike Danna and George Karlaftis] Are. So far they have had good years, but [their] Importance to this defense and the success of this defense – the numbers go beyond that.”
When reporters asked if Jones felt his presence also helped his teammates, he concluded: “As a player, it’s not what you do. I think it’s more about how you make the players around you better.”
With the Chiefs and Eagles, Jones and Jason Kelce are similar in that regard.
Michael Obermüller He covers the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals for Heavy.com, where he began working in 2021. A New York native and Quinnipiac graduate, his previous credits include FanDuel’s The Duel, King Fantasy Sports and Pro Football Mania. More about Michael Obermüller
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