Raven Country

NFL Reviewing Possible Illegal Hit By Ravens

A potential hip-drop tackle by one of the Baltimore Ravens' defensive stars is now under review.

Jon Alfano

Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith (0) reacts to a stop on third down in the first quarter of the NFL game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith (0) reacts to a stop on third down in the first quarter of the NFL game at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Ravens' 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday ended with aa sight no one wants to see.

With just 43 seconds to go, Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle after a tackle by Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith. He had an air cast placed on his leg before being carted off the field and is expected to miss the rest of the season. It's a horrible loss for the Bucs, especially because Godwin was having a great season in a contract year.

Now, Smith could lose a good chunk of change for the tackle. According to multiple reports, the NFL is now reviewing the play for a potential hip-drop tackle, which the league has cracked down on this season. If the league determines that it was a hip-drop tackle, Smith would receive a hefty fine.

According to the NFL, a hip-drop tackle features a defender, "wrapping up a ball carrier, rotating or swiveling their hips, unweighting themselves and dropping onto the ball carrier’s legs," per Pro Football Talk.

No player has received a penalty during a game for a hip-drop tackle, but seven of the 22 plays the league reviewed resulted in fines after the fact. The players who received the largest fines were T.J. Edwards of the Chicago Bears, Nick Bolton of the Kansas City Chiefs and C.J. Mosely (a former Raven) of the New York Jets, who all lost $16,883 in Week 2. If Smith receives a fine, it will likely be the same amount.

Smith previously lost $16,883 for a horse-collar tackle on Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice in Week 1.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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