Joe Mixon blasts NFL after suffering ankle injury following possible hip-drop tackle

Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans also addressed the play following the win, saying the team would look at the film to see if it was a hip-drop tackle.

The 28-year-old ball-carrier gingerly limped to the Texans sideline before going into the blue medical tent and heading to the locker room. Mixon reentered the contest with 50 seconds left in the third quarter but took just seven snaps after his return and recorded just one rushing attempt for one yard.

One of Mixon's former Cincinnati Bengals teammates was also involved in a perceived missed hip-drop tackle penalty on Sunday when stud wideout Ja'Marr Chase was taken down against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chase was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct in the fourth quarter of his game after using "abusive language" toward an official. The LSU product's argument with the referee came after he was tackled by Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie.

A 15-yard penalty would've been assessed in either Mixon or Chase's situation if a hip-drop violation had been called.

The NFL approved a rule proposal in March to ban the swivel hip-drop tackle, which, according to a rugby tackling style, has caused mainly lower leg injuries in recent years. 

Bien-Aime's report noted that according to NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller, there were 230 plays last season where the controversial tackle was used to bring down a ball-carrier, resulting in 15 players missing time.