On a fourth-and-1 on Sunday, as the Eagles lined up for their tush push quarterback sneak, Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips blew up the play before the ball was snapped, plowing into Eagles guard Cam Jurgens and knocking him to the ground. Phillips was flagged for jumping offside, but Eagles center Jason Kelce said Phillips got off easy.
Kelce said on WIP that Phillips was deliberately taking a cheap shot at Jurgens, and the NFL should fine him.
“Teams are really trying to stop that play,” Kelce said. “I thought it was bullshit at the time. I really did. I said so to the official on the field. I said, ‘I’ve been running that play a lot of years. I’ve seen people jump offsides. He made zero effort to stop after he jumped offsides.’ He purposely tried to hurt Cam Jurgens. I thought it should have been a personal foul and I think he should be fined for that play.”
Kelce faulted the officials for letting Phillips get away with it.
“I thought that play in particular was absolutely a disgrace that the NFL should not allow,” Kelce said. “I really do. I don’t know Jordan Phillips, he might be the best guy in the world, but that, in my opinion, the NFL needs to do something about. Because that shouldn’t be allowed in this game. I thought the officials did not do a good job of officiating that play. I really did. That was so clearly not an offsides. That was a personal foul. And it should have been stipulated right from that moment.”
Kelce believes opposing defenses are focusing on being extra physical to stop the tush push, and that in Phillips’ case, he crossed the line.
