Eagles send a message to the NFL and the 31 other teams with the fake tush push

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles sent a message to the NFL and the 31 other teams in Week 4.

The reigning Super Bowl champions don’t need a tush push to win. And for those who consider it a boring play, now there’s a new twist. The fake makes it even more difficult for opponents to stop and more interesting to watch.

Facing a team that had their number and one that actually had some success against Philadelphia’s signature play, Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo mixed things up.

Saquon Barkley scored a touchdown on a fake tush push and Jalen Hurts tossed an underhanded TD pass on a variation of it in a 31-25 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

With the NFL instructing officials to make sure offensive linemen don’t start early on the play and widespread talk that it needs to be banned after team owners fell two votes short of eliminating it in the offseason, the Eagles got creative. In the process, they gave defenses another wrinkle to worry about.

Barkley ran untouched into the end zone from the 6 when Hurts turned and handed him the ball on a third-and-1 instead of keeping it and getting pushed from behind. Defensive coordinators now have to prepare for that possibility. Or, Hurts tossing the ball to a receiver out of a tight formation.

“Everything we do is a team effort, but it's an exciting play — it makes it pretty exciting, right?” Sirianni said, smiling. “When we were coming over here, I’m watching the ( Vikings-Steelers ) Ireland game and I (saw) this commercial on Pepsi of them going, ‘Hey, when in Philly,’ and they’re sneaking it. People like this play. Then there are some things off of the play that make it really exciting. It seems like people and fans really like the play, and it was pretty exciting today to get two touchdowns that come off of it that make that play what it is.”

It’s wishful thinking for Sirianni to say people and fans like the play because most people outside of anyone who roots for the Eagles don’t feel that way.

But the creativity behind it will strengthen Philadelphia’s argument that it indeed is a football play and shouldn’t be banned when the topic comes up again after the season.

There was other drama for the Eagles (4-0) after their latest ugly win. Hurts was 0 for 8 in the second half and the offense finished with only 200 yards after a minus-1 effort in the final two quarters.

Star wide receiver A.J. Brown had just two catches for 7 yards on nine targets. Overall, he has only 14 receptions for 151 yards and one TD in four games.

Brown, who has been critical of the offensive scheme and the passing attack, then posted a message on X quoting the Bible that’s being viewed as a cryptic expression of his frustration.

“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way,” Brown wrote.

That’ll dominate the conversation in Philly despite the Eagles winning for the 20th time in 21 games.

Another NFC East team made a major statement.

The Dallas Cowboys proved they’re not going to be a pushover without Micah Parsons.

A week after a lopsided 31-14 loss to Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, the Cowboys ruined Parsons’ return to Dallas with the Green Bay Packers.

The teams played to a 40-40 tie.

It’s a tie that should feel like a loss for the Packers, who entered as 7-point favorites. A fortunate bounce at the end prevented a loss after terrible clock management by Green Bay. Jordan Love’s incomplete pass hit a defender’s back and fell incomplete with a second remaining in overtime, giving Brandon McManus an opportunity to kick a tying field goal.

The Packers wasted 12 seconds before snapping the ball on third down, and it appeared they got away with some early movement before the snap.

Despite the tie, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones should feel a sense of satisfaction. Parsons had one sack on Dak Prescott, who was spectacular without top receiver CeeDee Lamb.

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Philadelphia Eagles teammates surround safety Sydney Brown (21) as they celebrate his touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (88) scores a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote Thursday on social media, “Motor Tanker Veronica had previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

A social media post from U.S. Southern Command on the capture said that Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to make the capture while Noem’s post noted that, like in previous raids, a U.S. Coast Guard tactical team conducted the boarding and seizure.

Noem posted a brief video that appeared to show part of the ship’s capture. The black-and-white footage showed helicopters hovering over the deck of a merchant vessel while armed troops dropped down on the deck by rope.

The Veronica is the sixth tanker that has been seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products, and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.

Noem, in her social media post, said that the raid was carried out with “close coordination with our colleagues” in the military as well as the State and Justice departments.

“Our heroic Coast Guard men and women once again ensured a flawlessly executed operation, in accordance with international law,” Noem added.

As with prior posts, Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law. Noem argued that the multiple captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”

However, other officials in Trump's Republican administration have made clear they see it as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.

Last week, Trump met with executives from oil companies to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution. His administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro's capture.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)