Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton was ejected in the third quarter of Sunday’s 24-16 win over the Tennessee Titans for making a helmet-to-helmet hit against wide receiver Chris Moore.
With the Titans facing first-and-15 on the Ravens’ 30-yard line with 8:37 left in the third quarter, quarterback Ryan Tannehill floated a pass to Moore near the goal line. Cornerback Brandon Stephens broke up the pass as Moore leapt in the air before Hamilton came flying in to make the tackle. The front of Hamilton’s helmet made contact with the side of Moore’s, and the former Ravens receiver hit the ground hard.
Moore had trouble getting up and was immediately attended to by team trainers before walking off the field under his own power. He was quickly ruled out with a concussion.
After a discussion, the officials announced that Hamilton was disqualified from the game. It’s the first ejection of the second-year player’s career.
“[There was] nothing malicious about it from my perspective,” Hamilton said after the game. “I wasn’t trying to hurt him. I wasn’t trying to do anything bad. I was just trying to get the ball out.”
Coach John Harbaugh said he understood the flag for unnecessary roughness because of the helmet-to-helmet contact, but the ejection wasn’t explained to him on the field.
“It came from [the replay review center in] New York, I guess. [They’ll] have to explain to us why,” Harbaugh said. “That’s not something we’ve seen before. That’s a new one, as far as I’m concerned.”
Geno Stone, who has been a regular contributor this season while safety Marcus Williams was out with a pectoral injury, replaced Hamilton and intercepted a pass on the Ravens’ next defensive series, his NFL-leading third of the season. Williams also limped off the field and went into the locker room after the interception. He did not return.
Following the 15-yard penalty on Hamilton for the illegal hit, Titans running back Derrick Henry rushed for a 15-yard touchdown to cut Tennessee’s deficit to 18-13 after it entered halftime trailing by 16. But thanks to Stone’s interception and two more field goals from Justin Tucker, the Ravens held on to secure the win.
Hamilton said he’s praying for Moore and is hoping the receiver can return soon. The 2022 first-round draft pick lamented leaving the game early after his family made the trip to London.
“[It was the] heat of the moment,” Hamilton said. “I wish I could take it back right now. I wasn’t trying to hurt anybody’s feelings or anything. I obviously just disagree with the call in the moment, not being able to see back. I do agree that maybe a flag should have been thrown, but coming all this way, I’ve been over here for a week. I had my mom and brother come out here. It’s my brother’s birthday. It’s just tough not being able to finish the game.”
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