Are Mac Jones and Joe Burrow the victims of dirty cheap shots in 2022?
Joe Burrow and Mac Jones are two of the best up-and-coming quarterbacks in the NFL. With Burrow already having been to a Super Bowl and Jones to the playoffs, both have bright futures ahead of them. But when young players come in and experience success so early in their careers, there can be resentment from others around the league.
When teams face the pair, there can be a little extra motivation from opposing defenses to make them "earn" every yard. Now, just to be clear, we're not talking about targeting or anything like that, but what some might call a dirty or cheap shot.
From NFL Now: More on #Patriots QB Mac Jones’ ankle injury… https://t.co/4DHf0Sqzd2
The NFL has done a good job of cleaning up the game so we don't see that many cheap or dirty shots anymore, but that doesn't mean that players haven't perfected being "clumsy" around the quarterback.
Mac Jones and Joe Burrow have seen some borderline cheap shots in the first few weeks of the season
Let's look at Mac Jones and the injury that he suffered against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. By no means are we accusing anyone here, so looking at the tape we can see exactly what happened to the second-year quarterback. Calais Campbell did a superb job of blowing past the offensive lineman and making a beeline for Jones. The young star got rid of the ball before Campbell got to him, but the defensive end continued with the tackle and put Jones on the ground.
He landed on Mac Jones' ankle clearly by accident, but did he have to follow through like that? Perhaps Campbell was just making sure Jones knew that he was around, trying to unsettle him.
Here’s the Mac Jones injury.
Severe left ankle injury.
https://t.co/iPQndECJa7
Then there is Joe Burrow. Burrow is the most sacked quarterback in the NFL last season and is well on par to repeat in this campaign. Since the start of the season, he has been sacked 15 times in three games, which is serious punishment.
Joe Burrow wincing and grabbed his knee makes my stomach hurt. 🫠 #PROTECTHIM https://t.co/YmOK266YwH
Against the New York Jets, the Cincinnati Bengals star was a victim of a low tackle that we thought the NFL had outlawed. Given his escapablility, the best way to stop him escaping the pocket is to to tackle him low, but that is against the rules, isn't it? Was it a dirty hit? This is for each individual to decide.
Another thing that has happened to Burrow regularly is that after he has passed the football, defenders still insist on trackling him to the ground repeatedly. Now that is partly defenders doing their job. In some instances, however, there has been a case to be made that the pass rushers could have eased up a little bit and not followed through.
@FauxJeaux @nfl @nflofficiating why are you allowing illegal hits on Joe Burrow's knees. This rule was created in 2006, strengthened in 2008, and nfl made it a priority in 2016 but still no flag & defenders openly celebrating the dirty hit. Rules mean nothing if you don't enforce them. https://t.co/izRLDczk5X
So are the pair victims of dirty hits? It's not 100%, but given the evidence we have seen, there is a case to be made. Keep an eye out for this as the season continues.