Roquan Smith’s tackle causing Chris Godwin’s ankle injury suggests NFL will cautiously officiate hip-drop tackles

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took 1 connected nan chin successful their Monday nighttime nonaccomplishment to nan Baltimore Ravens, and Chris Godwin’s season-ending ankle wounded was nan atrocious cherry connected apical for nan NFC contender.

However, while Godwin’s absence will person a important effect connected nan NFC South title and for his imagination shot managers, nan biggest ripple effect from nan series mightiness subordinate to NFL officiating.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, nan NFL has apparently said that Ravens prima linebacker Roquan Smith used a hip-drop tackle to bring Godwin down connected nan play wherever he sewage injured. As we each know, discussions astir nan hip-drop tackle and needlessly complicating an already overwrought crippled pinch MORE penalties were awesome sticking points during this past offseason.

However, if nan hip-drop tackle was that clear, Smith weirdly (or unexpectedly?) wasn’t flagged for it successful nan mediate of Monday night’s game. And nan NFL only reviewing it aft nan truth for a imaginable good suggests this mightiness beryllium nan punishment building for astir if not all, hip-drop tackles moving forward:

Here is nan play connected which Chris Godwin was wounded that now will beryllium nether review: https://t.co/wzw0Ob5jPn pic.twitter.com/7JOYezfrsQ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2024

My stance astir penalizing hip-drop tackles arsenic a denotation of over-officiating only changes somewhat successful this scenario. I still deliberation it’s very silly to return a instrumentality retired of nan toolbox for defenders successful an already offensively slanted sport. It’s not for illustration dudes are trying to injure group connected purpose. You bring accomplishment players down by immoderate intends possible, and sometimes that happens. This has ever felt for illustration trying to officiate retired nan brutality of an inherently sadistic athletics for optics.

With that said, I admit that defenders for illustration Smith might, astatine least, not wounded their squad successful nan mediate of important games pinch a backbreaking punishment acknowledgment to nan foolish rule.

If penalizing hip-drop tackles will really only person nan building of reviews nan pursuing day, followed by imaginable fines, I find this full woody overmuch easier to stomach. It’s still not awesome that it hurts nan pockets of guys conscionable doing their jobs, but you tin unrecorded pinch it if it doesn’t different impact nan result of a crippled excessively much.

Maybe this is nan measurement nan NFL ever intended to officiate hip-drop tackles.