The most important job of a defender is to stop the offense from getting into the end zone, thus putting points on the board. However one has to do that, he will. Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick did his job. Unfortunately, it was at the expense of Browns running back Nick Chubb’s season, but he won’t apologize. Nor should he.
He did, however, defend his character in saying that he’s not a dirty player, something he’s been accused of ad nauseam since before Chubb’s exit Monday night. “I’m chippy, I’m edgy, of course, but I’m not a dirty player,” he told Steelers media on Thursday. “I know what type of player I am. Chubb knows what kind of player I am. I love competing against him. He brings out the best in me, and I bring out the best in him. No chance that I would ever try to purposely injure anybody.”
Buy Steelers TicketsIt’s ridiculous to say that Fitzpatrick shouldn’t have tackled him low; that’s the only way to get a player of his athleticism and strength down. Chubb would’ve only dragged him into the end zone if he’d done it any other way. Perhaps Chubb shouldn’t have planted his foot the way he did. Yes, that’s equally as ridiculous.
There’s no getting around what was done and not having Chubb walk right into the end zone on the play in question. “If I tackle a guy like Chubb high, he’s running full speed downhill, and I’m stationary, I’m going to get ran over, and I’m going to get concussed. I know it’s an offensive game, and people want to see points, but defensive players are people, too.”
Fitzpatrick on the low tackle: "If I tackle a guy like Chubb high, he's running full speed downhill, and I'm stationary, I'm going to get ran over and I'm going to get concussed. I know it's an offensive game and people want to see points, but defensive players are people too." https://t.co/DTiJUfhkCw
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 21, 2023
Fitzpatrick also left the game for the hospital after suffering a chest injury. Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday that it was merely a precautionary measure. He’s good to go for Pittsburgh’s Week 3 game in Vegas versus the Raiders.
