Eagles notebook: Jordan Mailata doesn't mince words about Tush Push detractors

Eagles notebook: Jordan Mailata doesn't mince words about Tush Push detractors originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Tush Push is under attack again and Jordan Mailata has had enough of it.

After the Eagles successfully ran the play four times in their 20-17 win over the Chiefs, there's a new push (no pun intended) to eliminate their signature play. And it was aided by ESPN's Adam Schefter, who this week said the Chiefs lost their Week 2 game when the NFL owners refused to ban the Tush Push from happening."

"This game was lost in March. This game was lost when the NFL owners refused to ban the tush push from happening. It wasn't lost yesterday."

-@AdamSchefter on Eagles-Chiefs pic.twitter.com/rl60G5Pa6n

- Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 15, 2025

What?!?

I couldn't give a f- what Adam Schefter says, to be honest," Mailata said. And I ain't the one calling the plays on my team. Sorry, pardon my language, pardon my French. I'm not calling the plays and I don't care what Adam Schefter says."

What really annoys Mailata is when some folks say the Tush Push is the only reason the Eagles are winning games.

The Eagles held the Chiefs to 17 points in Week 2.

When you look at our defense and our special teams and they're dominating their side of the ball," Mailata said. And offense is doing their part, not dominating, but doing our part. We're doing just enough. Just call a spade a spade. I think that's bullcrap. You can't say we're winning games for that.

But other than that, I'm going to be an advocate for all the teams out there. You guys can definitely run this play too. I promise you. You can to. It's not just us. It's not just the Philly Eagles. It's not just a Philly Eagle thing. You guys can run it too. You guys have the personnel."

The Eagles have perfected a play and feel like they're being punished for it. It's not like they invented the quarterback sneak. The new talking point to eliminate the rule is that it's too hard to officiate, which isn't a problem that's exclusive to the Eagles' version of a quarterback sneak. That seems to be a point that is conveniently left out of the discourse.

Mailata, a former rugby player, said whichever announcer said it was a rugby play deserves jail time."

While some don't like the look of the Tush Push, the giant left tackle sees the beauty of the play.

I think it's a beautiful piece of art, yeah," he said. Definitely a work of art. It's a lot of coordination, a lot of organized mass. Every other team can do it. Why can't they convert? You could do it. Let me do this: You guys can do it.' This is my official plea to all the teams out there: You can run the Tush Push just like we can.'"

It's a mindset

Nolan Smith is just 6-foot-2, 238 pounds. But he doesn't play like it.

While Smith might be undersized compared to some other NFL edge rushers, he's excellent as a run defender. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio knows exactly why.

His mindset, No. 1," Fangio said. Playing good run defense is a mindset, and he's got the mindset. He attacks blocks and he's fearless."

We saw that against the Chiefs on Sunday on a key 4th-and-1 stop in the third quarter. Smith weaponized his body and destroyed a puller to blow up the play.

The key kicking ball change

Eagles kicker Jake Elliott is off to a fantastic start in 2025. After making just 1 of 7 field goals from 50+ yards last season, Elliott is already 3-for-3 from long range this season.

But it's not just Elliott.

Through two weeks of the 2025 NFL season, NFL kickers are now 12-for-16 on kicks from 55 or more yards. Elliott is one of four kickers with two makes from 55+, hitting two from 58 yards out.

There are plenty of theories on the uptick of long field goals but it's possible a new rule with kicking balls is playing a role.

Yeah, I mean it possibly can," Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay said. Special teams coaches across the league been trying to get that rule passed and it was able to pass this year and I think they're seeing some success with it, but as much as all these big kicks are going in, you could still see there are some 40 yarders that are being missed getting dunked off. I mean last night Chase McLaughlin, one of the better kickers missed one right there. So again, I don't think it has to do a lot with the ball. Does it help? Possibly, but I think it's just these kickers getting better and better."

Before this year, teams would get about an hour to break in three kicking balls for that particular game - and they would focus on one. That was a different procedure from regular game balls, which teams have always gotten to work into game condition. Now, teams are able to prepare their kicking balls throughout the week.

Elliott explained that there's more comfort when he gets to work with the game balls during the week. He didn't think there was enough time to get the balls right just before a game. The comfort he feels comes from knowing exactly what to expect when he strikes a ball. There aren't any surprises.

The Eagles were one of six teams that proposed this rule change this offseason.

So now you get that whole week to work with the ball, give them the amount of balls the refs need right there," Clay explained. It's more just a feel when you could deep dive on how kicking balls are made. There's a film on it, so you're trying to get that off and allow it to be more of a smoother texture than the rigid bumpy feel that a quarterback ball has. That's why you see in hurricane situations when it's a quarterback ball, the ball doesn't travel as well. It's not as smooth as a regular kicking ball."

Victory!

Through two games in the 2025 season, Cooper DeJean has played all 121 of the Eagles' defensive snaps. He has also five snaps on offense.

But it's not what you think.

DeJean is the Eagles' deep man in the victory formation. He's back there as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option as Jalen Hurts takes a knee.

If something happens, being able to make a tackle before the end zone," DeJean said. Just stand there really. If I need to make a tackle, go make a tackle."

Some deep guys in victory formation will celebrate a win by doing a backflip. While DeJean has seen that before, don't worry about him doing one. He said he can't, especially not in pads.

But it is fun for him to get a chance to see what it's like in the offensive huddle for a change.

It's usually a good thing when I'm out there on the field," he said. It is a little different. I love it because it means we're winning the game."

No worries

It was a scary moment when Landon Dickerson went down at the Eagles' public practice on Aug. 10. Dickerson needed meniscus surgery and was ready for Week 1.

On Thursday, he said he was never worried, even in the moment, that the injury was more serious.

I mean, not really," Dickerson said. That's what they make doctors for."

By the time Week 1 rolled around, Dickerson's knee injury wasn't even listed on the team's injury report. He did suffer a back injury that limited him in that first game but he said it was unrelated to the knee.