f.Eagles LB Zack Baun Escapes Punishment After Delivering Banned Dangerous Hit — Leaves Giants Cam Skattebo with Horrific Injury.f
The NFL world is buzzing after a controversial tackle by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun on New York Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo in the second quarter of their Week 8 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field. What started as a routine pass play turned into a scary moment when Skattebo went down with an apparent ankle injury.
Skattebo, the Giants’ breakout star this season, was carted off in an air cast after tangling with Baun. New York ruled him out for the game, and whispers suggest it could sideline him for the rest of the year—tough news for a team already fighting uphill.
Slow-mo replays have fans divided: Some call it a clear hip-drop tackle (outlawed by the NFL in 2014 to protect players’ legs), while others see it as a solid, legal wrap-up in the heat of battle. No flag was thrown on the field, leaving Eagles fans relieved and Giants supporters fuming.
NFL fans were unhappy with the missed call by the officials:
“The play that injured Giants RB Cam Skattebo was an illegal hip drop tackle from Eagles LB Zack Baun Shockingly, there was no penalty…. ,” one fan wrote.
“Another hip drop tackle, this time on Cam Skattebo, when will they start flagging for this?” asked a user.
“This is an illegal play. 100% a hip drop tackle. The refs have totally screwed the Giants today and the Eagles dirty play just broke Skattebo’s ankle,” a fan wrote.
For reference, the NFL rulebook spells it out like this:
“A hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto the ball carrier’s legs during the tackle.
A hip-drop tackle will result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first-down if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground:
- Grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms and
- Unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”
It’s a close call by the book, but the no-penalty ruling stands. As Eagles fans celebrate a hard-fought win, the focus shifts to player safety league-wide—wishing Skattebo a speedy recovery. What’s your take on the play?
