With their decision not to ban the tush push, NFL owners are finally standing by the principle that good defense is made on the field, not in the negotiating room. But one thing is also clear: defensive coordinators are going to have a lot of work to do. A commentary.

The tush push lives on, and that’s a good thing.

At one point, it looked as if the Green Bay Packers’ proposal to ban the play might succeed. According to The Athletic, two committees had voted in favor of banning the play, in which the ball carrier is pushed or pulled across the line of scrimmage by his teammates.

In the end, however, the necessary majority of 24 votes among NFL team owners was missed by two votes. Many NFL fans find the often unsightly play, which the Philadelphia Eagles in particular have mastered to near perfection, a thorn in their side.

And yet the vote is a decision in the best interests of the sport.

The official main argument for banning the tush push was the supposedly high risk of injury, especially for the player who is pushed into the defensive mass by his teammates. However, this argument lacked statistical backing: any notable injuries after tush pushes in the NFL? None!

Not a victory for convenience after all

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie pointed out the injury risks of banning tush pushes, arguing that this would simply lead to more quarterback sneaks, which would leave the playmakers exposed.

Former Eagle Jason Kelce also offered his assessment of the injury risk to team owners. His conclusion: “If I only had to play 80 tush pushes for an NFL comeback, I’d be in immediately. It would be the easiest job in the world!”

It would have been easy for 31 of the 32 teams to vote to remove one of the reigning champions’ strongest weapons from the game.

It would have been a victory for convenience. Instead, enough teams made the job of their defensive coordinators more difficult and kept the play alive.

And that’s exactly what football is all about. Because good defense isn’t made at the drawing board, it’s made on the field.