The story from Monday night was and should be how the Seattle Seahawks ripped the New York Giants offensive line to shreds. But while Daniel Jones looks like an expensive rusty anchor on Big Blue, we can’t forget what happened between Geno Smith and Isaiah Simmons.
Early in the second quarter, Smith was running out of bounds as Simmons pulled him down in a “hip-drop” fashion. Not only was Smith clearly already running out of play, but the “hip-drop” tackle technique is notoriously dangerous, and it leaves players susceptible to severe injury.
And for a moment, with a knee injury, it did seem like Smith was seriously hurt before returning later in the game. (Note: Simmons was not penalized.)
Geno Smith showed his frustration after Isaiah Simmons tackled him on the sideline 😳#SEAvsNYG pic.twitter.com/d0trgckmkc
— ESPN (@espn) October 3, 2023
ESPN’s Lisa Salters asked Smith about what happened in this sequence after the Seahawks’ 24-3 win. He was NOT happy about it, to say the least:
“A dirty play,” Smith said. “Dirty play. You guys could see it. It was a dirty play. There’s no place in this sport for that. And, you know, hopefully something happens. But other than that, the grace of God allowed me to come back into this game.”
Smith isn’t wrong. The NFL hasn’t officially banned “hip-drop” tackles — which would be horrific news for a lot of defenders — but they did lead to serious injuries for the Dallas Cowboys’ Tony Pollard and the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes last postseason. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, the best recourse a defender has is dragging someone down for the tackle.
But it’s a very vulnerable position for offensive skill players, and defenders should indeed be more conscientious about their tackle choices. For what it’s worth, Simmons claimed he wasn’t trying to actively hurt Smith with his tackle:
Isaiah Simmons on his late hit that briefly knocked Geno Smith out of the game: “Nobody is trying to hurt nobody out there.” #Giants
— Greg Johnson (@gregp_j) October 3, 2023
Smith is fortunate his ailment wasn’t more serious.
This was how Twitter reacted
This is a dirty tackle and should be outlawed like the horse collar https://t.co/dkTqwwX2Re
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) October 3, 2023
Totally unnecessary whether it was penalized or not. https://t.co/CQPjFBnmPC
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) October 3, 2023
This is another example of why the hip drop tackle should warrant the same penalty as a horse collar tackle
OR
Just be eliminated from the league. It’s the same way #Cowboys Tony Pollard was injured last season in the playoffs. https://t.co/T4pTltf334
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) October 3, 2023
This would’ve been a penalty had it been Jalen Hurts or Pat Mahomes, no question. How many more players will the NFL allow to get unnecessarily injured due to these hip drop tackles?
Troy said it on the broadcast, horse collar tackles are illegal and it’s for the same reason. https://t.co/LEnAPvIXrM
— Brad (@JUST_BMOORE) October 3, 2023
Should’ve been a late hit flag https://t.co/a7Lj2a2h2w
— Brian Gregory (@bjgregory1) October 3, 2023
Dirty play he was clearly going out of bounds could've just pushed him out https://t.co/dDU6MitXyT
— Lord (@STEALZUS) October 3, 2023
Isaiah Simmons did Geno Smith dirty. No doubt about that.
— Joseph Goodman, Sports Enthusiast 🎟🍺 (@JoeGoodmanJr) October 3, 2023
I'm on Geno's side here. If that's Mahomes/Rodgers there's nothing but pure outrage. 15 yard penalty and a hefty fine for Simmons. https://t.co/GtiduPswAK
— Spencer (@TheSpencerHowe) October 3, 2023
can’t lie I always question why defenders go so hard to hit a player when you clearly see them heading towards out of bounds https://t.co/E0Eow5b8uu
— zeus (@NYGzeus) October 3, 2023
