Orchard Park, N.Y. — NFL Teams Counter the 'Peanut Punch' Fumble

A ball-stripping tackle known as the "Peanut Punch" has become common enough this NFL season that coaches around the league are building practice drills around stopping it, according to ESPN.

The move isn't new, but its use has picked up noticeably in 2026, ESPN reports. The technique calls for a defender to throw a fist at the football rather than wrapping up the ball carrier, aiming to knock the ball loose instead of making a tackle.

What happened in the Giants-Commanders game?

On Oct. 11, the New York Giants were lined up in field-goal range after the two-minute warning in overtime against the Washington Commanders, according to ESPN. Any points would have won the game for New York.

Giants running back Cam Skattebo was hit in the backfield and had to use his forearms to shed a tackle, leaving him unable to pull the ball back up to his chest, ESPN reports. Commanders defensive lineman Daron Payne threw his blocker aside and threw a punch at the gap between Skattebo and the football. The ball came loose. New York's chance at a win was gone, and the game ended in a tie, according to ESPN.

Where did the 'Peanut Punch' get its name?

The technique is tied to former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, who popularized the move, according to ESPN. The outlet dates the tactic's rise to around 2012 — a technique that has stuck around and, by this season, has spread widely across NFL defenses.

By the numbers

• 2012 — the year ESPN credits the technique with becoming widely known in the league
• Oct. 11 — date of the Giants-Commanders overtime sequence that ended in a tie after the forced fumble

How are teams coaching players to prevent it?

ESPN's reporting centers on how running backs and coaching staffs are adjusting to the trend, with Buffalo Bills running back James Cook and Skattebo both cited as players whose ball security has drawn attention amid the rise in forced fumbles. Teams are working on ball-carrying mechanics that keep the football covered even after contact forces a runner to use his arms to fight off a tackler, rather than relying on the traditional high-and-tight carry alone.

The Skattebo play illustrates the problem defenses are trying to exploit: a runner who uses his forearms to break a tackle attempt can momentarily lose the tight grip on the ball that coaches teach, and that split-second opening is exactly what the Peanut Punch is designed to find.

Why has the technique spread this season?

ESPN's report does not give a single cause for the increase, but it frames the Skattebo-Payne sequence as a case study teams are now studying closely. The tie-costing fumble turned the play into a reference point for both sides of the ball — defenses looking to copy Payne's technique, and offenses and running backs looking to avoid becoming the next cautionary example.

What should fans watch for going forward?

• Whether running backs around the league visibly change how they carry the ball through contact in the coming weeks
• Whether forced fumbles continue at an elevated rate as more defenders attempt the punch rather than a traditional tackle
• How often broadcasts and postgame breakdowns single out the technique on specific plays, the way ESPN did with the Skattebo-Payne sequence
• Whether any rules discussion emerges around a tackling method that intentionally targets the ball rather than the runner

ESPN's full breakdown, including video analysis of the technique, is available at espn.com.

What does ESPN's video breakdown show?

ESPN published its report on the trend Nov. 9, 2026, under a byline credited to Nick Suss, along with a 1 minute, 33 second video segment titled "How to protect the football from the infamous 'peanut punch,'" according to ESPN. The video accompanies the written report and focuses on how ball carriers can adjust their technique to protect against the punch-style strip attempt rather than a standard wrap-up tackle.

The outlet frames the footage as part of a broader look at counter-measures rather than a single-play highlight, tying the Skattebo-Payne fumble to a league-wide coaching response. ESPN's report does not specify which teams, beyond the Giants and Bills, have built dedicated drills around the punch, but it identifies running back ball security broadly as the focus of the adjustment teams are making this season.

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