Recently, at the NFL Owners meetings, there was a vote taken on whether to ban the Philadelphia Eagles' tush-push play. Ultimately, the decision was made not to ban the play. The Eagles have shown that they can run this play to near perfection.
So how do teams plan to stop it?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently signed an undrafted player that might help them counter this unstoppable play. Desmond Watson, a former defensive tackle out of the University of Florida, could possibly be the answer. Watson is 6'5 and is listed at 449 pounds.
Imagine that run-stopper up the middle anchoring a defensive line.
Recently, head coach Todd Bowles spoke with Jenna Laine of ESPN.com saying …
"To judge him right now is very early, and we didn't get him for the tush-push- we got him because we really thought he could play. It’s just a matter of getting him to the point where he can play more than two or three plays [per drive].”
It is clear that conditioning is going to be on the menu for Watson, as Bowles mentioned, so that he can become a consistent contributor on their defensive line.
Imagine this if you will, though.
It is late in the fourth quarter, with the game on the line. The Eagles have the ball on the 1-yard line, and line up for the tush-push to seal the game. While Bowles and the Buccaneers may not have signed Watson for this purpose, it sure would be nice to be able to send Watson in to line up next to stud defensive tackle Vita Vea to counter this.
That is approximately almost 800 pounds pushing straight up the middle. While it may not have been the focus, it is a nice option to have for a rainy day. … and one reason fans are wondering if Watson can make - and then help - the team.