Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford expressed his displeasure with Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph following their NFC Wild Card Round clash on Sunday. The tension arose when Joseph delivered a low hit to Rams tight end Tyler Higbee during the fourth quarter of the Lions’ narrow 24-23 victory, resulting in Higbee sustaining an injury.
Approaching Joseph after the incident, Stafford criticized him, stating, “Hey, that’s a good hit. That’s a good hit. You dirty as f–k though, and you know it. You dirty as f–k. It’s been on tape. I’ve seen it.”
Higbee’s injury occurred as he attempted to make a catch across the middle of the field, with Joseph making contact with his right leg using his helmet. Higbee limped off the field and was later diagnosed with a torn ACL, facing a challenging road to recovery for the next season.
Stafford’s comments may have been influenced by a previous hit Joseph delivered to Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson earlier in the season, where a similar low tackle resulted in Hockenson being ruled out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL.
#Lions HC Dan Campbell on Kerby Joseph being labeled dirty: “That’s how we play football here. Just keep your head up, see what you hit. That’ll always be what I tell Kerby. … He’s going for the thigh board and staying away from the head. That’s how we play defense here. It’s… https://t.co/N4NCrhXyh4 pic.twitter.com/e92Lm63vpf
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 18, 2024
In response to criticism from fans, Joseph took to social media to clarify that he had no intention of harming Higbee and expressed his prayers for the tight end’s recovery. Lions head coach Dan Campbell also defended Joseph, asserting that the play was not a dirty one and emphasized their team’s style of play, encouraging players to “keep your head up, see what you hit.”
Despite the controversy, Joseph and the Lions are now gearing up for a divisional round matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who secured a 32-9 upset victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round on Monday.
