Baltimore Ravens Safety Marcus Williams On Banning Hip-Drop Tackle Controversy: 'We'd Might As Well Play Flag'

A hip-drop tackle from Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson likely ended Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews' season with an ankle injury.

A pivotal 34-20 divisional win over the Cincinnati Bengals came at a price for the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football at M&T Bank Stadium.

Ravens (8-3) All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews suffered an ankle injury on the first drive of the game when he was tackled by Bengals (5-5) linebacker Logan Wilson. Andrews was unable to return, and Ravens head coach John Harbaugh indicated that the tight end will likely be out for the rest of the season. 

Wilson's tackle on Andrews was along the lines of a hip-drop tackle, one that the NFL has been rumored to be looking into penalizing in the future. While that may be best for the safety of offensive players, Ravens safety Marcus Williams spoke about the tackle on Kay Adams' show "Up And Adams," and said he isn't sure if banning the tackle would be best for the game.

"I'm not sure he's trying to hip-drop or anything like that [or has] no malicious intent to hurt a guy," Williams said. "He's just trying to get him down. If we can't tackle, we'd might as well play flag [football] if that's the case. There's no other way to bring these guys down. They're 285, 275, whatever they are, we're trying to get them down. I don't know what the league can do about that."

Mark Andrews had two catches for 23 yards before leaving the game / USA Today Sports

Williams added: "We can't really be mad at the defender. He's doing all he can to get him down there. It's tough."

While Williams shares that perspective from a fellow defensive player, Harbaugh didn't believe the way Wilson tackled Andrews should have happened.

“It was definitely a hip-drop tackle,” Harbaugh said. “It is being discussed. It’s a tough tackle. Was it even necessary in that situation?”

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Regardless, Baltimore appears to be without one of its top weapons for the rest of the season, which is a devastating blow to its hopes of making a Super Bowl run.

"I hate to see one of the best tight ends in the game go out like that," Williams said. "It's tough because he put all of that work in and we love him. If he is out for the season it's hard to see him go."