Baltimore Ravens star in hot water as gruesome injury leads to NFL review

The NFL is reviewing the tackle that led to Chris Godwin's season-ending wounded successful the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' nonaccomplishment to the Baltimore Ravens connected Monday Night Football

Baltimore Ravens' linebacker Roquan Smith could look disciplinary enactment arsenic the NFL probes into whether helium utilized a prohibited hip-drop tackle connected Tampa Bay Buccaneers' receiver Chris Godwin.

During Monday Night Football, the Ravens clinched a commanding 41-31 triumph implicit the Bucs, acknowledgment to Lamar Jackson's awesome 5 touchdowns. However, the lucifer concluded connected a bitter enactment erstwhile Godwin sustained a season-ending dislocated ankle successful the last minute.

Godwin's horrific wounded happened during a 21-yard catch-and-run arsenic the Bucs were attempting a comeback. ESPN chose not to replay the tackle and injury, with the erstwhile Pro Bowler seen crawling connected the tract aft the deed from Smith earlier aesculapian unit immobilised his ft successful an aerial formed and loaded him onto the cart.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter revealed that the NFL is present scrutinising the play and investigating if Smith's tackle contained each the elements of the hip-drop tackle, which was unanimously voted to beryllium banned astatine the yearly league gathering backmost successful March. If the reappraisal determines the tackle breached the revised rule, Smith volition beryllium liable to a fine.

The NFL precocious confirmed it had reviewed 22 instances of alleged hip-drop tackles. Described officially by the league arsenic a concern wherever a defender approaches from down oregon the side, envelops the subordinate with the shot successful their arms, thrusts their hips, loses their ain value and collapses straight onto the opponent's little body.

Such a determination seems to perfectly characterise Smith's tackle connected Godwin, though determination was reportedly nary malicious intent from the Ravens linebacker.

It's tricky for refs to drawback each item during lively matches and contempt reviewing these moves, officials haven't yet flagged anyone this season. After filtering done the plays, lone 7 resulted successful fines.

Tampa Bay prima Godwin is bracing for surgical involution connected his dislocated ankle and, adjacent with an optimistic forecast of being acceptable for the 2025 NFL play kick-off, his stint astatine Tampa Bay remains uncertain; Godwin's declaration is up making him a escaped cause post-recovery, perchance marking a somber closure to his Buccaneers vocation that saw him clinch a Super Bowl triumph since being a third-round prime successful the 2017 NFL Draft.

In effect to immoderate flak for not pulling his apical endowment erstwhile the Bucs were down 10 points with lone astir a infinitesimal near connected the clock, Bucs manager Todd Bowles expressed his distress implicit the wounded and stated: "Our prayers spell retired to him. Chris is simply a hellhole of a subordinate and a hellhole of a quality being. Not overmuch you tin say."

"You consciousness atrocious for him, and unfortunately, they're not going to cancel the games. We got to measurement up and determination on. But our hearts are heavy."

Before his injury, Godwin had made an awesome 7 receptions for 65 yards. Throughout 7 games this season, he's been a standout with a league-leading 50 receptions for 576 yards and 5 touchdowns, forming a formidable duo with Mike Evans - who besides had to permission the crippled aboriginal owed to injury.

The 4-3 Buccaneers, riddled with injuries, are gearing up for a pivotal NFC South clash against the arsenic matched 4-3 Atlanta Falcons astatine Raymond James Stadium, acceptable for Sunday, Oct. 27.