T.J. Hockenson of the Vikings and Tyler Higbee of the Rams both suffered season-ending knee injuries after taking low hits from Lions safety Kerby Joseph. Even though it's legal, offensive players don't like the hits.
Yeah, I'm awesome. A report from the Detroit Free Press quoting Joseph as saying, "I'm used to being the villain," surfaced on Thursday.
Matthew Stafford, quarterback for the Rams, who was wearing a game microphone, swore at Joseph just after the hit.
Dear stranger! "You've got a good hit there," Stafford shouted at Joseph. You're disgusting and you're well aware of it, but that's still a solid hit. You're really filthy. It has been recorded. There it was. It has been recorded.
Joseph couldn't tell if Stafford was upset over the hit or the party. As Higbee writhed in agony on the field, he stood up, flexed, and exchanged high-fives with teammate Levi Onwuzurike.
"To be honest, I don't really know [why Stafford was mad]," remarked Kerby. I have no idea what he was trying to accomplish; it was the fastest option. It wasn't a cause for rejoicing that I caused him pain. In all honesty, I failed to see that he was in pain. Still, the youngster and his family are in my thoughts and prayers. Things happen, just as in the game we play.
The impacts were not mentioned by Kerby; he just stated that he "just wanted to make a tackle, really."
Even though Kerby has received support from Lions coach Dan Campbell and several of his teammates, he continues to face online villainization. Saying what people want to say is inevitable. "All I'm doing is my job," Kerby stated.