Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson came under fire from national media and some NFL fans for his involvement in multiple plays that got Baltimore Ravens players injured on Saturday night.
That included the infamous hip-drop-styled tackle that hurt Ravens tight end Mark Andrews.
The narrative got off and running so quickly that Bengals head coach Zac Taylor took the end of a press conference announcing Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury to rip into those spreading the narrative.
And Wilson now has some unexpected defenders besides his head coach — in the form of Ravens players.
Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard was one of those front and center with nothing but good things to say about Wilson.
“Everybody respects him. I don’t think it was intentional or dirty,” Ricard said, according to Ryan Mink of the Ravens’ official site. “I think he’s a great player. I have respect for him and think he plays the right way. I’ve never had a problem with him or heard that anyone had a problem with him.”
Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen had this to say on the subject of the tackles, too: “I hate that Mark is hurt. Prayers for him. But at the end of the day, we play football. We play a tackling sport. I don’t think a hip drop tackle is that bad of a thing. How else do you want us to tackle? Just let the guy run past you?”
Between this and the full-court defense from Taylor, it would appear the budding narrative around Wilson will end up squashed, though with all in agreement that the hip-drop tackle itself is something the NFL needs to look at after the season.
