The New York Giants are playing with the odds stacked against them on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8. Not only did they lose star running back Cam Skattebo, but the team also had an apparent fumble overturned on the Eagles' first-half “tush push” attempt.
On a 4th-and-1 play from the 10-yard line in the second quarter, the Eagles did what they always do and reverted to the “tush push.” Jalen Hurts picked up a first down, but had the ball taken out of his hands by Giants edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Despite Hurts clearly still moving forward, the officials blew the play dead for forward progress.
This whistle was sooooo early in Giants-Eagles on the tush-push. They blew that as if he scored and the play was over.
This should've been a Jalen Hurts fumble and Giants recovery. pic.twitter.com/WHLn1pplKJ
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 26, 2025
Brian Daboll challenged the play, but it was still ruled a first down. Hurts found Saquon Barkley for a nine-yard score to take a 14-7 lead a couple of plays later.
The play was ripped by fans on social media who believed it was officiated inaccurately. The call particularly peeved Giants insider Art Stapleton, who blasted the referees and called the play a “disgrace.”
“So Giants lose possession — which they earned — and a challenge, ultimately, and a timeout,” Stapleton tweeted. “Tush Push officiating becoming more and more of a disgrace.”
Many Giants fans, unsurprisingly, agreed with him while voicing their own frustrations.
The Giants have been burned by the “tush push” before, with officials missing an obvious penalty during the team's initial meeting. The Eagles have committed clear false start penalties on the “tush push” that have not been called all season, including against New York in Week 6.
The referee blunder allowed Philadelphia to take a 21-10 halftime lead. Had the play been appropriately officiated, it would likely have only been a one-score game at the break.
