The tush push has been one of the most controversial plays in the NFL this season.
Fans around the league are increasingly agreeing that the call is tough to officiate. Usually, this relates to the defense lining up in the neutral zone, or the offensive line committing a false start that goes uncalled, but there was an added wrinkle during the AFC championship game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos.
While there was no rule that was violated in the third-quarter tush push executed by Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, it is still mired in controversy. New England went for it on fourth and short, and Maye was ruled to have gotten the first down. This caused Denver head coach Sean Payton to challenge the play, and the Broncos were not happy with the call.
Here is more on why Payton and the Broncos were upset at the tush push ruling in the third quarter of the AFC championship game on Sunday.
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Drake Maye tush push
Maye was ruled to have gotten a first down. The replay wasn’t 100% conclusive, but it sure looked like he ended up short of the first down line. The tush push left no angle available to accurately rule on the play. As a result, the call on the field stood, meaning that it couldn’t be confirmed or overturned due to inconclusive video evidence. While the replay didn’t show outright that he missed it, it seemed like a bad call from the ref because they couldn’t see where Maye went down, and instead made the call from where the ball eventually ended up on the bottom of the pile.
Drake Maye on the tush push, with two defensive linemen behind him, didn’t look like he got it.
Sean Payton has challenged the first down call on the field 🤯 pic.twitter.com/q7RfioIXbJ
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) January 25, 2026
MORE: Why did the Packers want to ban the tush push?
Did Drake May get a first down?
Officially? Yes. Unofficially, he looked short of the first down. Regardless, the play stood and the Patriots got the first down. Denver’s defense held strong and held the damage to a field goal, but at the time, it put New England up 10-7 late in the third quarter as the weather worsened.
