Darren Rizzi and Matthew Hayball were embroiled in a sideline altercation that was impossible to miss on Sunday, as the New Orleans Saints interim head coach slammed his punter for what he deemed to be a poor performance up to that point. The FOX broadcast caught Rizzi ripping into his punter after a kick was returned for a touchdown by the New York Giants, though it was negated by penalty.
Some may have referred to it as a moment of passion, if you will.
“That’s what you’re calling it, a passionate exchange?” Rizzi laughed when speaking with reporters after the game. “I’m passionate about everything. Everybody has a job to do. And he wasn’t executing the game plan. I’m going to say this. His last punt, his last two.”
It was not all bad in the eyes of Rizzi, though.
“His last punt was outstanding and it really helped us,” Rizzi said. “Actually, I think has last two punts, the second to last punt in particular, was really, really good.”
Hayball’s effort there accomplished something the Saints had been trying to do all game long. Rizzi continued: “Pinned them back, didn’t get any return yards, that’s what we were trying to do all day. Our first three punts weren’t good enough, so in that passionate exchange, I let him know that’s exactly how I felt.”
All is well though. Rizzi added, “Me and Matt are fine.”
The coach said Kamara was playing peacemaker and showed good leadership by stepping in to help keep Rizzi his cool.
“I love AK,” Rizzi said. “AK is a guy that sees everything and is very observant. You guys who have followed AK know he’s a little bit of lay in the weeds guy… he was just trying to be a peacemaker there.”
Kamara had some words to try to get Rizzi to slow his roll a little bit on Hayball.
“He came back around and said, ‘Riz man, I didn’t know you could lose your (expletive) on a punter like that.’ He was just trying to calm me down,” Rizzi said.
Hayball punted seven times for 292 yards, but just two of them landed inside the 20-yard line. He’ll look to tune that up as the Saints face the Las Vegas Raiders up next on the schedule.
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