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DJ Bien-Aime, ESPN
HOUSTON — Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, having reviewed film of the play, said Monday he believes running back Joe Mixon‘s ankle injury Sunday night was caused by Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards using the now-banned hip-drop tackle.
Edwards was not penalized for the tackle, which occurred early in the third quarter of Houston’s 19-13 win over Chicago. Mixon left the game to get treatment on the ankle and returned late in the third quarter, but played only seven snaps the rest of the way.
After the game, Ryans said he wasn’t sure if Mixon was brought down using the swivel hip-drop tackle. But he said Monday that after reviewing the play, he was certain Edwards had applied the rugby tackling technique that the NFL in March elected to ban given the many lower leg injuries it has caused.
“[The tackle] definitely in my mind, is considered the hip-drop,” Ryans said. “When the defender unweights himself and then he puts all of his weight on the runner’s legs, you see why they want to get the hip-drop tackle out of the game. Because it causes a lot of injuries when it happens. The hip-drop tackle doesn’t happen much, but the percentage of injury when it does happen is very high and you saw that there with Joe and his ankle. The defender landed on his ankle.”
As for a timeline on when Mixon could return to the field, Ryans didn’t give a clear indication.
“We’ll see on the injury,” he said. “We’ll evaluate Joe as we go throughout the week. Just take it day by day.”
The Texans play the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3 and could be without Mixon and backup Dameon Pierce, who missed Week 2 with a hamstring injury. If they’re without both, expect Cam Akers, who rushed for 32 yards with a fumble in Week 2, to get most of the carries.
Mixon did not speak to reporters after Sunday’s game but called out the NFL on social media for not enforcing the rule
“The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason,” Mixon wrote on X. “Time to put your money where your mouth is.”