The NFC Championship game between the Washington Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles sparked controversy due to a rare warning issued by NFL officials.
After the Commanders committed three consecutive penalties while attempting to stop the Eagles’ well-known “tush push” play, the referees warned that if such infractions continued, they could “award a score” to Philadelphia.
This ruling quickly became a topic of debate, drawing reactions from fans, analysts, and even players’ families. Kelly Stafford, wife of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, shared her frustration on her Timeout podcast, comparing the referees’ actions to disciplining her children.
Like many fans, she found the warning baffling, sarcastically suggesting that if teams want to avoid offsides penalties, they should just “go on one.”
She acknowledged the Eagles’ strategy as clever, noting that forcing the defense to jump offsides essentially guarantees points, though she still found the situation frustrating.
For clarity, she read a statement from her co-host, Hank Winchester, which referenced the rulebook—teams cannot commit multiple fouls to prevent a score, and referees can award a touchdown if a team is denied one by an “unfair act.”
However, both she and Hank questioned whether the Commanders’ actions truly met that definition, arguing that football is inherently subjective.
The debate stems from the challenge of stopping the “tush push,” a play with an extremely high success rate. Teams have tried different strategies, including sending a defender over the line, but the Eagles’ use of a hard count makes timing such a counterplay difficult.
The Commanders’ repeated penalties reflected their desperation to stop a play they seemingly had no solution for, especially with the stakes so high.
Ultimately, the sequence of penalties and the resulting Jalen Hurts touchdown made for a frustrating and awkward moment in the game.
The officials’ controversial ruling has overshadowed the game itself, prompting discussions about whether the NFL should re-evaluate both the “tush push” and the rulebook in the offseason.
