Fans react to Joe Mixon injury after controversial hip drop tackle
By Ryan Heckman
This offseason, there were a number of stories that made big-time headlines around the NFL, and many of them came due to some notable moves by the Houston Texans.
One of the bigger headlines, for the Texans, came when they acquired former Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Immediately, Mixon became the lead back for Houston. There was never a question about it.
Mixon joined a roster that had been elevated throughout the offseason as Houston added a plethora of talent on both sides of the ball, and the former Bengal got off to a hot start this season. In Week 1, Mixon ran it 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown.
When the Texans kicked off Week 2 on Sunday Night Football against the Chicago Bears, Houston was expecting more big things out of their starting running back. In the third quarter of this one, though, Mixon was brought down by Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards on what ended up being a pretty controversial play.
Speaking of headlines this offseason, a national headline was made when the league voted to ban what is known as the "hip drop" tackle.
Edwards brought Mixon down using this style of tackle, which led to the running back enduring an ankle injury and leaving the game. Mixon was forced into the blue tent and then went back to the locker room for a bit and was ultimately labeled questionable to return, before making his return late in the third.
Rewatching the play, though, fans couldn't help but notice the refs didn't call Edwards for a penalty, and they were not thrilled.
just a bummer to have mixon go down off a blatant hip drop tackle.
— Vish Bhatt (@thevhb) September 16, 2024
Why did they even ban hip drop tackles if they’re never call gonna it
— Akash (@YZR_Fantasy) September 16, 2024
I hope 53 on the Bears gets hit sticked for that hip drop
— Shdwz ♤ (@_Shdwz) September 16, 2024
More Bears news:
manual
so when does the league plan on throwing flags for hip drop tackles ?
— SackMan (@Normthe4th) September 16, 2024
Hey NFL, what happened to illegal hip drop tackles that was made a big deal?! Because that tackle on Joe Mixon looked really like a hip drop tackle
— Kevin Ŧran (@KTran5) September 16, 2024
That hip drop tackle that took mixon out of the game is exactly why the hip drop tackle was banned. Why no flag?
— Brian Harper (@brianthconfused) September 16, 2024
So did they actually ban “hip drop” tackles or was that all just bullshit? #NFL #NFLRefs
— Ricky Bobbie (@apollobravoo) September 16, 2024
Mixon gets tackled with hip drop tackle and no flag but if the defense had just grabbed his nameplate it would have been 15 yards. Make it make sense @NFLOfficiating #SNF #Texans
— Brian Leimbach (@VA_BWL) September 16, 2024
if that joe mixon tackle doesn’t create a flag… idk if any of them will.
— logan (@loganissues) September 16, 2024
that was 10000% a hip drop tackle.
What is a hip drop tackle?
From the official NFL rule book:
"A hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto ball carrier’s legs during the tackle.
A hip-drop tackle will result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first-down if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground:
- Grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms and
- Unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee."
Looking at the raw definition of the play, it certainly seems as though Edwards executed the perfect hip drop tackle in this instance. Still, there was no flag thrown.
Curious, to say the least.
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