Christmas might be a time for love and joy, but there’s little love lost between Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon and Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback Josh Johnson.
What was expected to be a firework-filled outing between two AFC contenders, sparks roster before kickoff ensued.
Mixon, who previously spent the first seven seasons of his career as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, exchanged words with Johnson after Ravens punter Jordan Stout hit a Texans assistant coach in the end zone with one of his warmup punts.
Mixon punted the ball into the end stands and then exchanged words with Stout. Johnson came to protect his punter before the two needed to be separated by both sides.
NFL Network and Nettflix sideline reporter Steve Wyche offered a look at the video of the spat during the broadcast.
It’s Christmas with some pregame fireworks between the Ravens and Houston @netflix pic.twitter.com/QtVk5Lsmz5
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) December 25, 2024
Mixon, who’s in his first season with the Texans, must keep his cool until he’s on the field. He’ll be needed for Wednesday’s game as the bellcow workhorse now with Tank Dell sidelined for the remainder of the year.
Should Mixon rush for 45 yards on Wednesday, he’ll become the first running back since Carlos Hyde in 2019 to rush for 1,000 yards in a season for the Texans.
The veteran tailback already became the first running back since Arian Foster in 2012 to rush for 11-plus touchdowns in the regular season.
Following the pregame altercation, Mixon and the juiced-up Texans prepare for what could be a potential AFC playoff preview at NRG Stadium next month in the wild-card round.