professor So, a case can be made but an unknowing degree of how much?
Yes - it's possible to make a case for just about anything with minimal evidence. (Just don't expect anyone to take you seriously...)
professor How could you possibly know "the sample size"?
That would be a pretty straightforward exercise (although probably time consuming to do), given access to the right data - go through game logs (and possibly game film, if the logs don't provide enough detail) to identify the relevant plays. Given that the QB push play, as run by the Eagles since the 2023 season, hasn't been around all that long, and is only run a few times a game per team (and not all teams use it), the sample size is probably 1,000 plays at most. That isn't all that much of a sample for analysing the likelihood of a low-probability event like a serious injury.
professor To me it's a bunch of sour grapes that only one team can run this "play" with such success and efficiency. I'm glad the NFL sees this the same as me. If you want to beat 'em, join 'em. Go, hire a Rugby coach like the Eagles did and learn some of the technique that provides for their success.
A perfectly fair and reasonable opinion to have, and one that I generally agree with - the Eagles have done a very good job in recent years of looking at things around the margins that could potentially help them win more games, and this is one of those things. That doesn't mean to say that I like the play (which I don't), but NFL teams can and will use any play that's effective and within the rules being used at the time.
