The Houston Texans are trying to live up to the potential that they had placed on them in the preseason but it appears that running back Joe Mixon is going to be a bit banged up going forward. During the Week 2 game on Sunday night against the Chicago Bears, Joe Mixon was tackled early in the third quarter in what appeared to be a hip-drop tackle and would immediately be helped off the field to the blue medical tent.
The hip-drop tackle was banned during the offseason and even though a flag was not called on the play, could result in a fine later in the week. After a couple of minutes, Mixon headed to the locker room for further examination under his own power and remained in the locker room as of this writing.
The Texans would classify this as an ankle injury and state that he is questionable to return to the Week 2 game. Before suffering the injury, Joe Mixon recorded seven rushing attempts for 20 yards (2.9 yards per carry) while also adding three receptions on five targets for 25 yards (8.3 yards per catch). Having a veteran running back like Joe Mixon on the roster has been something that the Houston Texans needs in order to have a strong backfield going forward.
UPDATE: Joe Mixon would return to the game right before the end of the third quarter
What would losing Joe Mixon mean for the Houston Texans?
Joe Mixon is the leading running back for the Houston Texans this season and has gotten seven of the team’s 10 carries in the game. The only other running backs to get a carry through the team’s first six quarters of action has been Dameon Pierce and Cam Akers. Losing Joe Mixon would certainly be a veteran that adds an additional layer to their offense.
About the Author
Vincent Pensabene graduated from Saint Leo University in 2019 with a B.A. in Sport Business and has focused on the media side of sports. He writes for multiple publications and is interested in the reasoning of why things happen. Feel free to follow him on social media @TalkVinTalk and discuss all things sports.
