Texans running back Joe Mixon was injured early in the third quarter Sunday night on a tackle by Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards. Coach DeMeco Ryans reviewed film of the play and said Monday it definitely was an illegal hip drop tackle that Edwards used to bring down Mixon.
“It is definitely considered the hip drop when a defender unweights himself, and he puts all his weight on the runner’s legs,” Ryans said, via a transcript from the team. “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. 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. 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. He’s trying to get Joe down, and the only way when you’re in a bad spot, the only way, is to unweight yourself and you put your weight off on his leg. So unfortunate that that happened to Joe.”
Edwards was not penalized for the tackle but can expect a fine letter from the league this week. The NFL fined two players for hip drop tackles that were not penalized in Week 1.
Mixon was scheduled for an MRI on his injured ankle on Monday, but Ryans had no update on Mixon’s injury. Mixon returned to the game but played only seven snaps the rest of the way.
“We’ll see on the injury,” Ryans said. “We’ll evaluate Joe as we go throughout the week. Just take it day by day.”
Mixon did not speak to reporters after the game, but he went on social media to call out the league for not enforcing the rule on the field.
“The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason,” Mixon wrote. “Time to put your money where your mouth is.”
Backup running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring) was inactive for Sunday night, and third-stringer Cam Akers lost a fumble on the goal line in their place late in the fourth quarter against the Bears.