The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a massive blow on Sunday Night Football. Not only did they lose the game, but they also lost Chris Godwin for the remainder of the year. The injury was upgraded from an MCL sprain to a torn ACL, meaning Godwin won't be available in the NFL Playoffs.
Bruce Arians soon spoke up about the hit that injured his star receiver. According to Greg Auman of The Athletic, Arians didn't seem upset about the hit, as he broke down some of the rules the NFL has set in place. With the league focusing so much on preventing head-on-head collisions, the Buccaneers coach seems to believe we've seen an uptick in knee injuries as a result.
Arians on Godwin:"The type of hit was totally legal. One of the things we have to look at in the offseason. We're so concerned about hitting people in the head that we're getting a lot of knee injuries now because of that type of tackle. It is legal and wasn't a bad play at all."
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) December 20, 2021
What Arians is saying makes complete sense. The NFL fines players for head-on-head collisions after the public demanded better safety protocols put in place for concussions. For that reason, many defenders are changing the way they tackle their opponents. It could be a contributing factor as to why we've seen so many knee injuries, including Godwin.
We'll see how the Buccaneers bounce back from this. Mike Evans and Leonard Fournette both fell to injury as well on Sunday. The Buccaneers are in a tough spot right now with the playoffs right around the corner. Luckily for them, Antonio Brown is set to return from suspension, but he has played minimal football this year. It could take a while for him to get into playing shape.
Keep an eye on the Buccaneers as they'll do everything they can to maintain their lead in the NFC South. Catch their Week 16 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, as they will have a chance to earn a big win.
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