The Denver Broncos received some worrying news on the health of star running back J.K. Dobbins on Saturday, who will undergo surgery on his injured foot that may very well end his season. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the bad news on Saturday for Broncos fans regarding Dobbins’ recent injury.
Dobbins’ injury came at the hands of Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson, who appeared to get away with an illegal hip-drop tackle without being flagged in their Week 10 game against the Broncos.
Shortly after the game, Dobbins spoke out publicly against the officials who opted not to flag Wilson for the tackle. Despite the fact that the NFL has cracked down against hip-drop tackles this season, it seems as if the league didn’t exactly take Dobbins’ message all that seriously.
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On Saturday, the NFL issued its weekly fines on plays around the league that they believe warrant disciplinary actions. Surprisingly, Wilson was not issued any kind of punishment from the league despite the tackle on Dobbins appearing to be a textbook violation of the league guidelines on illegal hip-drop tackles.
Given the long-term ramifications of the tackle for the Broncos, it is certainly surprising to see that at least a fine wasn’t given to Wilson.
Dobbins has been a driving force for Denver this year, ranking inside the top five in the NFL in rushing yards on the year prior to his injury. Sitting at 8-2, Dobbins’ injury, likely a season-ending one according to reports, is undoubtedly a huge blow to the team’s chances in a potential postseason push.
This decision from the NFL clearly means that they did not agree with the overwhelming consensus from most fans that Wilson’s tackle qualified as a hip-drop tackle.
Regardless, the Broncos will look to overcome the loss of Dobbins in Week 11 when they host the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that could ultimately determine who goes on to win the AFC West.
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