Rob’s Random Thoughts: Brady in the Coaches’ Booth, Tush Push Getting Push Back

If you’re betting on the NFL, you presumably expect it to be legit. Two issues seem to be lingering in the media this week that at least make me raise an eyebrow on the topic – one that comes up for this league a bit too often.

Coach Brady?

Tom Brady, soon to be Hall of Fame quarterback and now minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, was seen in the coaches’ booth for the team with a headset on during their Monday night game against the Chargers. Brady is also a color commentator for NFL games on Fox. This season, he’s reportedly been allowed to participate in pre-production meetings with coaches and staff of teams he is covering. He must attend the meetings “virtually,” and cannot watch practice.

Uh, hello? This is dumb. The NFL made a point to say Brady didn’t break any rules by being in the booth. I’m sorry, Brady is the guy who reportedly smashed his cell phone to smithereens as a player when the league was investigating whether or not he and the New England Patriots illegally had footballs filled with less than the typical amount of air so he could throw the ball better on a cold day in the playoffs.

Brady’s not going to take advantage of gaining knowledge of what other teams are doing to help the Raiders, a team he now partly owns? He’s hailed for his competitiveness, but now the NFL thinks it’s cute that he’s in the coaches’ booth because he wouldn’t do anything he possibly could to help his team win? And it’s no problem that he gets to interview players and coaches, building a rapport with them and letting them “rub elbows” with him, a Super Bowl champion 7 times, because that wouldn’t help the Raiders sign those same players and coaches when they’re free agents?

The NFL doesn’t care about a situation that at the very least offers “the appearance of impropriety,” but they should. It raises questions about the league; a league on which fans spend and bet a ton of money. Brady should be an owner or a broadcaster, not both.

“Tush Push” Backlash

The Eagles beat the Chiefs on Sunday, relying heavily on the “tush push,” their version of the quarterback sneak, and the media and podcasters are all over it. I saw video showing a false start that went uncalled on one use of the play. Nick Wright, oddly not showing video, claimed the Eagles were lined up offsides and moving before the snap. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said that officials don’t know how to call the play. Even Bill Cowher on Dan Patrick’s show said, “It’s not a football play.”

I’m not sure what that means, other than Cowher doesn’t like the play. As I said in yesterday’s post, I think the “tush push” is garbage. But I don’t see how the NFL bans it. Literally, what is the penalty? Possibly, they could say it’s a chop block, because the entire offensive line is going low, which I think amounts to a chop block. But they don’t call it that way now, so I doubt they start doing so any time soon. I don’t know why the NFL brought back allowing players to push the ball carrier forward, which, I believe, was illegal. But it’s not now. I also don’t see why other teams can’t run the play. I know it’s predicated on Jalen Hurts’ enormous leg strength, and most quarterbacks don’t have as much strength as he does. So, give it to a big running back. Of course, the biggest problem is that you can’t take away the trademark play – sad as that is – of the most recent Super Bowl winner.

All of that said, this will be interesting to watch (unlike the damn play). If the NFL starts officiating the “tush push” differently, it could impact the Eagles offense.