Texans to send film of hip-drop tackle on RB Joe Mixon to NFL for review

The Houston Texans are taking the hit made against Joe Mixon to the NFL office.

After further review, the Houston Texans want a second opinion from the league office on Sunday night’s missed call. 

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday following a 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears that the hit made by linebacker T.J. Edwards on running back Joe Mixon was indeed an illegal hip-drop tackle. 

Houston plans to send the film, which was not ruled a penalty, to the NFL office for further review.

“With the tackle, it was definitely, in my mind, it’s considered the hip-drop when the defender unweights himself and puts all of his weight on the runner’s legs,” Ryans said after watching the tape. “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.”

With 11:57 left in the third quarter, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed a pass to Mixon, who tried to hit the sidelines with plans of stopping the clock. Edwards, who last season led Chicago in tackles, drug Mixon to the ground, using his body to crumble the running back’s ankle.

Earlier this offseason, the NFL and the NFLPA  agreed to ban the hip-drop tackle after seeing a rise in lower-body injuries over the past several seasons. According to the ruling, if a player is caught making that type of tackle, it’s a 15-yard penalty and an automatic fresh set of downs.

Mixon, who inked a three-year extension after being traded to Houston this offseason, returned to the game after further medical evaluation but was limited to one carry in the fourth quarter. He finished with 27 yards on nine rush attempts and averaged less than 3.1 yards per play. 

He was not made available to the media afterward and is currently undergoing an MRI. 

“Tough spot to be in,” Ryans said of the play. “That’s why you want to put your body in front and tackle guys in front, and not reaching from behind. The defender was in a bad spot there and he was trying to get Joe down, and the only way is to unweight yourself and put all of your weight on his legs.”

Mixon, who rushed for 159 yards in the season opener over the Colts, tweeted his frustrations after leaving the stadium Sunday night. 

“The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason,” Mixon posted on X after the game. “Time to put your money where your mouth is.”

The Texans travel to Minneapolis on Sunday to take on the Minnesota Vikings. They’re already down one running back as Dameon Pierce was inactive in Sunday’s win with a hamstring injury.