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Texans running back Joe Mixon briefly left the team’s Week 15 game against the Dolphins with a lower-body injury after being brought down from behind by a Miami defender. He was able to return on Houston’s next drive, but that doesn’t mean his latest injury scare will quickly be forgotten.
When the video is slowed down, it looks like the defender dropped his hips, which should have resulted in a flag. The NFL banned the hip-drop tackle because of the string of injuries attributed to the tackle form. The league has been inconsistent about flagging it properly, but CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore thought the refs missed that call.
“I think that is a hip-drop tackle when you take a look at it”
– @GeneSteratore on this play, which resulted in Joe Mixon leaving the game pic.twitter.com/4myqqRwoZc
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 15, 2024
Here is more on the tackle, as well as Mixon’s history with hip-drop tackles.
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Mixon hip-drop tackle history
The NFL and the NFLPA agreed to ban the hip-drop tackle before the 2024 NFL season. The move was made to lessen the number of injuries from this type of tackle. A hip-drop tackle is when a defender chases down an offensive player, wraps their arms around them, and then forces their hips to the ground. This puts immense strain on the offensive player and can result in different types of lower-body injuries, usually to the ankle or foot.
Mixon was on the receiving end of a hip-drop tackle in Week 2 against the Bears. The running back was deemed questionable to return with an ankle injury at that time. Mixon eventually came back to the game but called out the NFL, NFLPA, and officiating crew afterward.
Joe Mixon ankle injury on a hip controversial tackle #NFL pic.twitter.com/wDDSJvsSxL
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) September 16, 2024
The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason. Time to put your money where your mouth is.
— ⚡️Primetime!!!⚡️ (@Joe_MainMixon) September 16, 2024
Mixon supposedly asked the ref during the game why it wasn’t flagged as a hip-drop tackle. The referee told him that it wasn’t one.
When I got up I asked the ref where is the flag that was a hip tackle. & his reply was no it wasn’t 🤦🏽♂️ https://t.co/A5fWjguzGH
— ⚡️Primetime!!!⚡️ (@Joe_MainMixon) September 16, 2024
The penalty for a hip-drop tackle called in the game is a loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down. With how vocal Mixon was about calling hip-drop tackles early in the season, he will likely have comments after the game, seeing as he was briefly hurt by another one that wasn’t flagged.