The Detroit Lions made the list of 10 teams that voted against banning the tush push, the Brotherly Shove, or however else you would describe the act of using your offensive linemen to push a player forward for more yards in a tight situation.
The Lions were amongst the teams that rejected the move from the Green Bay Packers to try and ban the play altogether from the NFL, as they specifically struggled to contain it during their matchups with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2024 season. The Eagles, of course, have seemingly perfected the play, and they're the target of this movement to ban it.
However, it wasn't just the Packers who wanted the play gone - there were two other teams of note to the Lions that were ready to get rid of it, as well. The Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears both voted to ban the play, making the Lions the only team in the NFC North seemingly willing and prepared to face the play in 2025 and beyond.
That speaks volumes to their confidence in their defensive line for this upcoming season, and to their confidence in being able to defeat the Super Bowl champions this season. As for the rest of the NFC North, their votes show they might be a bit worried about dealing with the Eagles' massive O-line this season and in the postseason.
Lions prove they're the only NFC North ready to topple the Eagles
In an offseason where the Lions have been pretty underrated by analysts projecting how competitive the division will be, it's good to see that head coach Dan Campbell and the Lions' top brass are staying the course as one of the grittier teams in the league.
Campbell had made it known back during March meetings that he wasn't keen on banning the play as others, and that he was more into the idea of trying to find a means of preventing it. It shows that he doesn't plan on shying away from the Eagles' gameplan, which is exactly the sort of initiative you need as a playcaller in the postseason against a championship-caliber team like Philadelphia.
The rest of the NFC North improved this offseason - they shored up their offensive lines, their playmaking, and in the Vikings' case, they added a new starting signal caller to the mix.
That doesn't mean they're on the Lions' level just yet.
