Texans Star RB Presses NFL After No-Call on Illegal Tackle

The Houston Texans star running back feels the tackle which injured him should have been a flag.

Sep 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) warms up before the game against the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon didn't quite have as productive Week 2 as he did during the team's season opener -- and his game was cut short after being injured in the third quarter.

It wasn't the prettiest contest, but the Texans have advanced to 2-0 on the young season after defeating the Chicago Bears 19-13 during a Sunday Night Football primetime matchup. The offense was unable to put plenty of points on the board, with C.J. Stroud finding Nico Collins for the team's lone touchdown score of the evening.

READ MORE: Texans Stay Undefeated, Beat Bears on SNF

The run game didn't quite support Stroud's passing game as it did in Week 1, as Mixon took his nine carries for 25 yards. He had fewer carries than he did last week, and his injury played a part in that. Backup running back Cam Akers received seven carries, tallying 32 yards.

Overall, the Texans rushed the ball 22 times, garnering just 75 yards. That checks out with the Texans' 19-point performance.

In the third quarter, Mixon believes the tackle that injured him was because of an illegal hip-drop tackle -- which the league is trying to get rid of for player safety. Mixon revealed his problems with the tackle and lack of action from the NFL.

"The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason," Mixon wrote on social media. "Time to put your money where your mouth is."

Mixon then followed up that post with another, claiming that he asked the ref for a flag, in which the ref claimed there was no illegal tackle.

"When I got up I asked the ref where is the flag that was a hip tackle. & his reply was no it wasn’t," Mixon continued.

When I got up I asked the ref where is the flag that was a hip tackle. & his reply was no it wasn’t 🤦🏽‍♂️ https://t.co/A5fWjguzGH

— ⚡️Primetime!!!⚡️ (@Joe_MainMixon) September 16, 2024

Following the game, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans revealed that he would need to see the play again before deciding whether to make a complaint to the league or not.

"Joe got rolled up. The guy's weight definitely came down on his ankle," Ryans said. "We'll evaluate Joe throughout the week. Hopefully he's OK."

The Texans would certainly like their star running back to return before they hit the road to take on the Minnesota Vikings this coming weekend.

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READ MORE: Texans' AFC South Lead Grows After Bears Game

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