Why 49ers DC Robert Saleh supports Eagles’ controversial ‘tush push’ play

SANTA CLARA — The Philadelphia Eagles’ famed “tush push” remains a legal maneuver after certain factions in the NFL have tried to outlaw the short-yardage play.Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, whose unit goes up against the Eagles on Sunday in the first round of the playoffs, takes the other side.“I’m for it,” Saleh said on Thursday. “I think if you do something good, and the rest of the league hates on it, that’s a good thing, right?“They’ve mastered it. If it was easy to do, every team in the league would be doing it. Teams that have tried to duplicate it struggle.”The Eagles’ tightly compacted formation with Jalen Hurts driving his legs straight ahead on a quarterback sneak is not as successful as it has been in the past, so the league might be catching up.Philadelphia’s conversion rates on third- and fourth-down run plays with 1 yard to gain have fallen in each of the past three seasons. In 2023, the Eagles converted 77.8 percent of third-and-1 runs in 2023 and 91.7 percent on fourth downs. Those numbers fell the next season to 61.1 percent and 90 percent. This year, Philadelphia was...