BALTIMORE — Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson is facing online backlash after controversial tackles on Baltimore Ravens players throughout Thursday night football.
Wilson tackled Ravens tight end Mark Andrews in the first quarter of the game; Andrews suffered an ankle injury and did not return to the field. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said Andrews suffered a cracked fibula and an ankle ligament injury.
“Mark Andrews has a very serious ankle injury,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “It looks like a season-ending injury, so our prayers will be with Mark. Nobody cares more about the team and being there for the guys than Mark Andrews.”
"Unfortunately, Mark Andrews has a very serious ankle injury. It looks like a season ending injury." pic.twitter.com/hJ8TbSc4ll
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 17, 2023
Tackles from Wilson resulted in injuries for two additional Ravens players during the team's Thursday Night Football showdown against the Bengals.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was hurt in the second quarter after being tackled by Wilson; Jackson also suffered an ankle injury, but he was able to get back on his feet and finish the game.
Then, eight minutes before the end of the game, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was tackled by Wilson in the open field after a 50-yard reception from Jackson. OBJ held his shoulder as he walked off the sidelines of the field; he did not return to play the rest of the game. Unlike his teammate, Andrews, Harbaugh said OBJ will likely bounce back.
"It doesn't look too bad," said Harbaugh of OBJ's injury after the game. "I'm sure it'll be something he'll have to deal with, these guys all have stuff to deal with, but it doesn't look too bad."
But it was the tackle against Andrews that resonated the most with fans and players alike after the game.
This Logan Wilson “hip drop” tackle officially ended Mark Andrews’ season. #Ravens pic.twitter.com/8zkvJChiM7
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltimoree) November 17, 2023
The NFL announced earlier this season it was looking to eliminate the hip-drop tackle, which league executive Jeff Miller has said increases the risk of injury by 25 times the rate of a standard tackle.
"It was definitely a hip drop tackle," Harbaugh said of the contact between Wilson and Andrews after the game. "Was it even necessary in that situation?"
Coach Zac Taylor expressed frustration at what he called a "completely reckless" narrative on Wilson while talking to reporters Friday.
"Logan is everything we want to be about ... he plays with a toughness and a physicality that I think is important for that position," Taylor said.
Taylor said that Wilson was "just trying to help the team win."
"I think some people kind of got ahead of themselves labeling him a certain way ... it's unfortunate any time a player gets injured, but he's a guy that I'm very proud to coach," Taylor said.
"I do have one more thing I want to say..."
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) November 17, 2023
As #Bengals head coach Zac Taylor got up to leave his press conference – He sat back down & made sure to address one more thing.
Zac expressed frustration toward a narrative surrounding LB Logan Wilson.
"He plays the game the right… pic.twitter.com/hOyuaLj312
Fans also took to social media, many arguing Wilson hadn't done anything wrong because the "hip-drop" tackle in question is still technically legal by NFL's standards. Others felt the tackle was dirty and called for Wilson's suspension from the league.
Wilson has led the team in tackles in each of the past two regular seasons.
