Clean or dirty? Depends who you ask.
The Lions say there was nothing wrong with Kerby Joseph's low hit on Tyler Higbee in last week's playoff win that left the Rams tight end with a torn ACL. Veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone called it "a clinic tackle" by the NFL's new standards: "That’s what the league office wants."
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford feels very differently. After Joseph dove at Higbee's legs to break up a pass in the fourth quarter and slammed into the side of Higbee's knee with his helmet, Stafford was quick to get in Joseph's face.
"Hey, hey! Hey, that’s a good hit, you’re dirty as f**k, though, and you know it," Stafford said in an exchange captured by NFL Films.
"Aw, c’mon, man," said Joseph.
"You’re dirty as f**k," said Stafford. "It’s been on tape, I’ve seen it. It’s been on tape."
Stafford was likely referring to a similar play in the Lions' Week 16 win over the Vikings when Joseph took out T.J. Hockenson, which left Hockenson with a torn ACL and MCL. But in a league that's doing everything it can to cut down on hits to the head by dishing out penalties, fines and suspensions, the Lions say their second-year safety is doing the right thing by aiming low.
"That’s how we play football here," Dan Campbell said Thursday. "Just keep your head up, see what you hit. That’ll always be what I tell Kerby. Just keep your eyes up so you don’t hit on the crown of your helmet and you hit a spine (vertebrae) and mess yourself up there. Just see what you hit.
"But no, I mean, he’s going for the thigh board and staying away from the head and that’s how we play defense here. We’re not dirty. It’s just, we hit.”
Asked about the hit on Higbee after the Lions' 24-23 win, Joseph said, "Seen the ball thrown, just broke on it and then made the tackle, man, and then he coughed it up. I’m praying for him, hope he heal up OK. And that’s about it, don’t wanna say too much on that."
Joseph later said via X that he has "no intention to hurt nobody and or harm their career." Fellow safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson said it falls on Stafford for putting Higbee in a dangerous position.
"Man, if anybody feel like that s**t was dirty, bro, if anybody on the Rams feel like it was dirty, then tell his quarterback don’t put the ball in no place where he can get his player hurt. ... If the quarterback don’t want any players to get hurt or messed up, don’t put it where our safeties are gonna make a play," said Gardner-Johnson.
Anzalone, one of the most veteran players on Detroit's defense, echoed Gardner-Johnson, and said "putting that on film is good to deter offenses from throwing that ball in the future."
"And that’s on the quarterback to take care of his receivers," Anzalone said. "That was just a clutch play in the game that ended up helping us win."