The Baltimore Ravens had finally gotten healthy and worked their way back into the AFC North playoff hunt, but Week 10 was a tough one despite a gutsy road win.
The Ravens beat the Minnesota Vikings to run their winning streak to three games. That, paired with a Pittsburgh Steelers loss on “Sunday Night Football,” has the Ravens right in the thick of things after a brutal start.
However, they came out of the win in Minnesota with a couple of key injuries. One of those was an ankle issue for receiver Rashod Bateman, who got hurt near the goal line when Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers tackled him from the side.
In the eyes of Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, it’s a play that should have been flagged for a hip-drop tackle.
Ravens Believe Receiver Injured by Hip-Drop Tackle
“What is a hip-drop tackle?” Harbaugh asked with a laugh during his Nov. 10 press conference. “It’s an enigma, apparently, that can’t be called. It looked like a hip-drop tackle, I think so, based on the definition. Am I gonna get in trouble for that? I hope not.”
Bateman was also surprised no penalty was called, per NFL reporter Kimberley Martin.
The hip drop tackle has been a point of emphasis for the NFL over the last couple of seasons. In the league’s own words, a “hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender grabs and wraps up a ballcarrier, rotates or swivels his hips, unweights himself, and drops onto the ballcarrier’s legs during the tackle.”
The hip-drop tackle has been a controversial play for quite some time. Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski suffered an ankle injury on a hip-drop tackle, and he recounted the play on Julian Edelman’s podcast. And while Gronkowski wasn’t willing to say it was a dirty play, both players — former offensive weapons — agreed the tackle shouldn’t be in the game.
“The hip-drop tackle is bull,” Edelman said at the time.
Bateman Injury Latest Test for Ravens’ Depth
As for Bateman, he reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain, and Harbaugh confirmed that it was an ankle sprain. Of course, there are varying degrees of ankle sprains, and a high sprain could mean missed time. Harbaugh neglected to say whether Bateman would miss time, though.
“I think he’s gonna be OK. We’ll see how it is going forward,” Harbaugh told reporters. “We’ll see where we’re at. We’ll probably know more on Wednesday.”
Reporters spotted Bateman wearing a walking boot after the game, seemingly suggesting his status for Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns could be in doubt.
Bateman, a former first-round pick, entered the season with high expectations but hasn’t been able to get going among a crowded group of Ravens pass-catchers. He has just 16 catches on only 31 targets this season, but he does have a pair of touchdowns, and 10 of his catches have gone for first downs.
In addition to Bateman’s injury, cornerback Marlon Humphrey will likely miss some time after undergoing surgery for a finger injury, Harbaugh announced during his press conference.
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