There are plenty of things to talk about in regards to the upcoming matchup between the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday, but one of the most polarizing and touchy topics has to be that of the infamous "tush push."
As for Philadelphia's signature offensive play, defenses have had a hard time stopping it since its birth. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen knows it, but he also has an obvious strategy when it comes to game-planning against it.
"It's a tough play to stop. This team runs it better than anyone else in the league. I think the best way to stop it is not to get into those situations," he told the Bears media ahead of Friday's game.
Allen's point might seem like common sense, but it's precisely how teams should be looking to stop the play. If you don't allow the Eagles into those third or fourth-and-short situations, then they likely won't run it.
The Bears' third-down defense could be tested in a massive way vs. the Eagles
For those who might not have paid ultra-close attention to these types of metrics, the Bears started out the first month of the season as the number one third-down defense in the league. Over the first four games, Chicago's defense allowed a conversion on just 29.27 percent of third downs.
Since then, the Bears have dropped down to being the 11th-best defense on third downs. Now, that's still in the top third of the league, but it's nowhere near how they started out this season.
For what it's worth, last week against the Steelers, Chicago's defense allowed a league-worst 57 percent conversion rate to Mason Rudolph and the Steelers on third downs.
That's alarming, to say the least. But, reinforcements are on the way.
This week, players like Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon have practiced in full and appear ready to go against the Eagles in Week 13. This defense is going to be getting healthier as the season goes on, which will only help the unit on early downs.
The Eagles' offense has been in question this season, with their offensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo, under regular fire from the fan base. Patullo has yet to establish a real rhythm this season, and he might be in danger of losing his job sooner or later. That's a positive for these Bears.
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The moral of the story: don't allow Philly to get themselves into third or fourth-and-short situations. The fewer of those situations there are, the less the Bears have to worry about the tush push.