Jerry Jones Bold Take on Dangerous 'Hip-Drop Tackle': 'It Needs To Go!' Insists Dallas Cowboys Owner
DALLAS - Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already expressed his view on the Philadelphia Eagles' "Tush Push," saying that he has no desire to ban; his view is that defenses should simply "learn how to stop'' the powerful QB sneak.
But the Jones does seem to be in favor of removing from the game the so-called "hip-drop tackle,'' with experts saying the technique is 25 percent more dangerous than any other tackle in football.
An NFL Network report coming out of Dallas and Wednesday's one-day NFL owners meeting states that Jones "is firm: That needs to go.''
The hip-drop tackle - a technique by which a defender grabs a ball-carrier and then "dead-weights'' his own body and drops to the ground, often resulting in the defender landing on and trapping the ball-carrier's legs - has this year seen the season-ending injury exit of Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews and others.
More recently, Miami Dolphins superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill was the victim of a hip-drop tackle on national TV on "Monday Night Football'' against the Tennessee Titans, resulting in an ankle injury that severely limited him for the rest of the outing.
It has been argued that the "Tush Push,'' or the "Brotherly Shove,'' also comes with inherent safety issues, as it features Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts taking the snap while his offensive linemen go low against defenders.
The Athletic reported this month that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wants the play banned as soon as next season, though the league is now denying that Goodell is behind any such movement.
So the "Tush Push'' may stay, controversial though some think it to be. But the "hip-drop tackle''? While it might be difficult to police, it is not dissimilar to the "horse-collar tackle,'' banned a few years ago and now an accepted no-no by defensive players.
