Let’s Get Sneaky
Posted July 21st, 2026 | No Comments »The Tush Push gave the Eagles a definitive advantage in some previous years. It wasn’t nearly as effective in 2025, for a couple of reasons. Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens, two of the key components, weren’t healthy. Also, teams really studied the play and came up with some unique strategies to try to stop it. A once dominant play became merely good.
Should the Eagles stop using the Tush Push? That’s debatable, but if they do go away from it they don’t have to go far. They simply would go to just a normal QB sneak.
Ryan Paganetti and Nick Underhill have a new football show and spent the first episode focused on the QB sneak and what a high percentage play it is.
Ryan tells a few Eagles stories and provides great numbers and info. You’ll come away knowing more about the QB sneak (or TE sneak or RB sneak) than you ever would have imagined. Great information.
A certain OL coach that left the Eagles was all in on it!
When we played Chicago in the 2018 playoffs I actually brought it up on the final drive when we got to 1st and goal from the 2 but we didn’t do it.
Foles saved the day on fourth down but I would have snuck 4x
— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) July 21, 2026
It will be interesting to see if the team goes back to the Tush Push this season now that Dickerson and Jurgens appear to be healthy. Or do they pivot and go to more of a traditional sneak. Heck, you can get creative. Ryan tells the story of Chip Kelly using a T-formation look at UCLA and all three guys went forward at the snap and pushed the QB.
I guess we’ll find out in September what the Eagles plan to do.
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Speaking of Jurgens, PE.com had a piece on him.
“You get surgery and then you don’t have any of that offseason to train and you’re just behind the 8-ball,” Jurgens said. “I felt like that throughout the season. And just every week I was trying to get better and get the body right, but it was like that at the start.”
Coming off a type of season where his body was always behind schedule, this offseason has been a “fresh, clean slate” for Jurgens as he has been able to train and heal in preparation for Training Camp later this month.
“I always find myself just thinking in perspective like, ‘Hey, how do I feel today versus how I felt a week ago or a month ago or where was I at a year ago,'” Jurgens said about his health progress. “And it’s just so much better.”
“We have so many things in this building. We’ve got red light, cold tubs, and so you’re just finding ways to help your body.”
Getting Jurgens healthy will make a world of difference for the OL and overall offense. Give him credit for gutting it out last year, but he really struggled to be effective. This season should be very different.
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Interesting stuff here from Mina.
“He fills a lot of the gaps that were pretty noticeable last year.”
—@minakimes on where Makai Lemon will fit in this upcoming season for the Eagles pic.twitter.com/xx3DGgYUBC
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 20, 2026
Lemon does check a lot of the boxes that were an issue last year. He could end up being a significant part of the offense this season.
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If the Eagles are interested in adding a veteran safety, they have a new option.
Veteran S Jordan Whitehead has been fully cleared to resume his football career post-neck surgery by Alex Vaccaro, his surgeon and the #Eagles’ spine specialist. Whitehead had recent workouts with the #Colts and #Texans and is expected to meet with more teams soon. pic.twitter.com/gqwX8QfNqT
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 20, 2026
Whitehead has 11 career INTs so he’s more of a playmaker than Marcus Epps. He’s also physical and a good run defender.
S Jordan Whitehead to the #Jets
Good fit for Saleh’s scheme. Forward ability in Quarters/2. Drive top-down/run the alleys. Urgent, tough at the 2nd level. See it vs. the run game (below). Can cut-off the ball on the perimeter/close with speed as a zone defender. @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/bp30H7JV1Y
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) March 16, 2022
We’ll see if the Eagles talk to him or stick with the guys they already have in place. Whitehead is 29 and has 101 career starts.
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Sean Mannion doesn’t have very much coaching experience. But that doesn’t make Nick Sirianni concerned as he hands over the keys to the Eagles’ offense:https://t.co/zp2iC72hSY
— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaroNBCS) July 20, 2026
Sean Mannion is hungry to prove himself and I think that is important. I have done a good amount of hiring in my day job and people that are hungry have succeeded at a pretty high level. They are driven to succeed. The NFL requires more than desire, but that is still an important trait. The more I hear about Mannion, the more I like him.
Mannion’s offense will be based on the McVay/Shanahan system. Here is an interesting video that shows a breakdown of a run play and all the subtlety involved in getting the blocking assignments correct.
If you want to understand the level of detail required to Run the Football effectively in the NFL, watch the next 131 seconds from Sean McVay. pic.twitter.com/jzoj5XB7DH
— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) July 21, 2026
Run blocking by Eagles skill players wasn’t good last year. That must change this season for plays like this to work.
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