In a brutal showdown that left fans on the edge of their seats, the Texans running back Joe Mixon found himself in a precarious position early in the third quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Bears. Mixon was taken down by a bone-crushing tackle from Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards that left him injured and writhing in pain on the field.
Coach DeMeco Ryans wasted no time in reviewing the tape of the play and came to a swift conclusion – Edwards’ tackle was nothing short of illegal. Ryans expressed his concern, stating, “It is definitely considered the hip drop when a defender unweights himself, and he puts all his weight on the runner’s legs. You see why we want to get the hip drop tackle out of the game, because it causes a lot of injuries when it happens.”
Highlighting the severity of Mixon’s injury, Ryans emphasized the need to coach defenders on proper tackling techniques to prevent such incidents. He continued, “The defender landed on his ankle. So tough spot to be in. We all want to coach it better on defenders. That is why you want to put your body in front and tackle guys in front and not reaching from behind, and the defender is in a bad spot there.”
Despite the lack of a penalty on Edwards’ tackle, the NFL is known for cracking down on dangerous plays, especially those involving unnecessary roughness. It comes as no surprise that Edwards can expect a fine letter from the league in the upcoming week. In fact, the league has already handed out fines for similar hip drop tackles that went unpunished in Week 1.
As Mixon underwent an MRI on his injured ankle on Monday, the Texans remained hopeful for his quick recovery. However, Ryans remained mum on the details of Mixon’s condition, simply stating, “We’ll see on the injury. We’ll evaluate Joe as we go throughout the week. Just take it day by day.”
Mixon, though silent in the post-game interviews, took to social media to express his frustration with the league’s lack of enforcement on dangerous tackles. In a bold statement, Mixon called out the NFL and NFLPA, urging them to uphold the rules they’ve put in place for the safety of the players. Mixon wrote, “The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason. Time to put your money where your mouth is.”
As the Texans dealt with Mixon’s injury, they faced further setbacks with backup running back Dameon Pierce sidelined with a hamstring injury. In a game fraught with adversity, third-stringer Cam Akers fumbled on the goal line late in the fourth quarter, adding insult to injury for the Texans in their battle against the Bears.
