Rams hope not to fall victim to one of NFL's more controversial plays in Week 3

Not many NFL fans support the Philadelphia Eagles' Tush Push play, which is essentially a suped-up quarterback sneak. The play is more like a rugby scrum play than a football play. For years, the NFL banned players from getting behind the ball carrier and aiding him in advancing the football.

Those rules changed, and thus the Tush Push, a.k.a. "The Brotherly Shove," was born.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is not a fan of the play. and was more than happy to make his views public. The play was even voted on by NFL ownership, but it narrowly escaped after an impassioned plea by Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce.

And so, L.A.'s defense must not only contend with the rushing prowess of running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts when the two teams square off in Week 3, but it now must defend a play that is nearly unstoppable and fraught with violations.

Video footage from the Eagles' use of the Tush Push is concerning, as the play typically shows offensive linemen getting consistent no-calls on false starts. While some fans can argue that missed penalties offset over the course of a 17-game season, this play is decidedly one-sided in favor of Philly.

Can Rams defend Eagles' Tush Push in Week 3?

Two teams competing in Week 3 with identical 2-0 records will typically attract national attention. But the latest controversy, sparked by undeniable video evidence of false starts, has placed the game even higher on the NFL's must-watch spectrum.

Kelce, who was a strong advocate for the play, used his New Heights podcast platform to issue a stern warning to his former teammates and coaches:

"They're (the Eagles' offensive line) going to be under a microscope moving forward. Everybody is going to be looking at this because of what happened. They're saying they're in the neutral zone, they're saying they're false-starting because they slow it down to 1,000 frames per second. ... They need to be very, very cautious because the calls are going to be starting to come, and they should be."

While it's clear many fans and NFL analysts are angry about the obvious missed calls, don't expect the NFL to ride in to the rescue. Los Angeles' defense must prepare to face the first Bird Gauntlet team without a fair application of NFL rules. Of course, that's simply one challenge faced in short-yardage situations. The defense has bigger problems to overcome as well.

Week 3 is a showdown McVay and Co. have anticipated since the Divisional Round loss in the playoffs last year. That loss inspired many of the Rams' roster moves in the offseason.

Now, those changes will be put to the test.

Ultimately, this is just one game in a 17-game schedule. But it's the first true test of all the changes made in the offseason. And now, it's a test of the NFL's resolve to call false starts on a controversial play.

What could be a better setup than that?

As always, thanks for reading.

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