Ravens tight end Mark Andrews is definitely happy the NFL has now banned the swivel hip-drop tackle. That’s understandable, given how that specific maneuver led to his missing two months last season.
During the Ravens win over the Cincinnati Bengals last November, opposing linebacker Logan Wilson performed a hip-drop tackle on Andrews, and he ended up with both a fractured fibula and substantial ligament damage.
That resulted in Andrews, widely considered among the best tight ends in the game today, being limited to just ten games. The result was a career low in single-season receiving yards.
“Taking that tackle out of the game is not bad,” Andrews said during his media session after yesterday’s OTAs.
“I think defenses can find a way to get around that.”
Football is a game of aggression, and its primary objective involves hurting your opponent. There is no getting around that.
That previous paragraph is meant to be read in the voice of John Facenda, the immortal Dulcet baritone who famously narrated the original NFL Films videos.
Of course, even the man nicknamed “The Voice of God” would agree that specific techniques should be forbidden, and on March 25, NFL owners voted unanimously to outlaw the hip-drop tackle.
Those who break that rule this season will be hit with a 15-yard penalty.
“I’m always an advocate for making the game safer,” Andrews said.
“You look at the last five years, there’s been a lot of big injuries with that. So just bringing the awareness to that type of tackle, I think is good.”
Having recovered now, and fully fit for the upcoming season, Andrews, 28, is expected to have a tremendous season. PFF rated him the Ravens’ top prospect for a “bounce-back” season.