Tag: Fight

NFL reveals officiating mistake with fines for Steelers-Eagles fight

The NFL’s fines after the Steelers-Eagles fight expose officiating errors from Week 15’s heated altercation.

It appears the NFL is attempting to right the wrong from the terrible officiating on the penalty resulting from the Week 15 skirmish between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The fight in question saw Steelers TE Darnell Washington take his blocking assignment a little too far, Eagles CBs Darius Slay Jr. and Quinyon Mitchell throw haymakers, and Steelers WR Calvin Austin III defend his teammate. However, the NFL initially only penalized the Black and Gold, claiming they had not seen any punches thrown by Philadelphia. Footage emerged following the game, clearly showing Slay punching Washington.

Almost a week later, the NFL has seemingly realized its mistake while handing out fines. While Austin and Washington were also fined—$6,173 and $6,760 respectively—it is nowhere close to the amount Mitchell and Slay are being charged, with both fined $14,069 each for their involvement.

Did the NFL do enough to correct the awful call from the Steelers-Eagles game? One could argue they did, but it’s a mistake that may have contributed to the Black and Gold’s loss.

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Fight erupts between Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles

A heated brawl erupted during the Steelers’ Week 15 contest after a physical altercation involving Darnell Washington and Calvin Austin.

George Pickens may have missed the Week 15 matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, but his chaotic spirit lived on through some of his teammates early in the contest.

Steelers TE Darnell Washington—known for his impressive ability and willingness to block—did his best Pickens impersonation by driving Philadelphia Eagles CB Darius Slay all the way out of the end zone and slamming him into the stands.

The physical altercation took a turn for the worse when WR Calvin Austin III got involved, shoving CB Quinton Mitchell, who was near the pile of bodies. Mitchell seemingly landed a swing on Austin, but the officials must have missed that part of the action, as only Austin and Washington were penalized for the altercation.

Ultimately, the physical nature of the interaction that caused the penalty would stall the Pittsburgh Steelers’ scoring opportunity. The situation mirrored Pickens’ block attempt on Browns CB Greg Newsome II back in Week 12, where he drove the defender into the stands to end the game.

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Browns CB Greg Newsome II takes shots at Steelers WR George Pickens ahead of Week 14 rematch

Greg Newsome II calls out George Pickens for the receiver’s selfish play ahead of the Steelers-Browns Week 14 matchup.

The bad blood between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns in Week 14 appears to be starting early, as Browns CB Greg Newsome II held nothing back when discussing his potential matchup with Steelers WR George Pickens.

Week 14 will mark the second meeting between Newsome and Pickens, with their first WR-CB matchup being marred by the chaotic fight that followed the Steelers’ failed Hail Mary attempt in Week 12.

Newsome claimed that Pickens is so focused on himself that he’s willing to jeopardize the Steelers. He argued that anyone who disagrees need only look at the wide receiver’s recent penalties caused by his immature outbursts.

Pickens will need to keep his composure in Week 14’s matchup against the Browns. With his recent in-game implosions and immature antics, teams are likely to focus on pushing him to snap. Fans can watch all the drama and action unfold when the Steelers take on the Browns on December 8 at 1:00 PM EST.

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Cleveland photographer brings new life to George Pickens-Greg Newsome altercation

Cleveland.com’s photographer Joshua Gunter provided a close-up look at the altercation between George Pickens and Greg Newsome in Week 12.

For Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens, when it rains, it pours. Much criticism and blame have been placed on the wide receiver—not only for his lack of effort on the final Hail Mary pass from QB Russell Wilson but also for a potential NFL investigation into his fight with Cleveland Browns CB Greg Newsome II.

Just as news surrounding the situation began to die down, an interesting and unique perspective from Cleveland.com sideline photographer Joshua Gunter surfaced, offering an up-close and personal look at the altercation.

While Gunter’s ability to continue taking photos after being caught in the skirmish is admirable, the truly remarkable takeaway is his close-up compilation of what took place between Pickens and Newsome:

The video appears to showcase Pickens’ innocence in the altercation’s aftermath, suggesting that Newsome was holding his helmet down while Pickens was trying to free himself. While Newsome claimed Pickens was a “fake tough guy,” it seems the only “fake” aspect of this altercation was Newsome’s complete blame of Pickens.

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Steelers linebacker responds to ‘dirty’ accusation from Commanders TE John Bates

Steelers LB Patrick Queen responds to Commanders TE John Bates.

If you blinked, you probably would’ve missed it. During Sunday’s back-and-forth battle between the Commanders and Steelers, Washington tight end John Bates and Pittsburgh linebacker John Bates were called for offsetting penalties after a play. The TV copy didn’t show exactly what happened, but Bates spoke about it later.

“Like I said, I was just playing through the whistle, it’s just the way I play,”Bates said of his confrontation with Queen. “I mean, if you go back and watch the film, in my opinion, it was him probably trying to do something dirty to me. Things happened, and it is what it is.”

Thanks to Sam Fortier of The Washington Post, we have a full picture of the incident Bates refers to from Sunday’s game, and he had every reason to be angry.

It’s no wonder Bates was angry. Queen’s shot was dirty, and he could’ve broken Bates’ arm on an unnecessary play.

Bates is popular with coaches and teammates in Washington’s locker room because he does the dirty work and is an unselfish player.

Speaking of dirty, Queen, like so many athletes do in this day and age, apparently vanity searched his name on X and responded.

No, Pat, he was doing his job and got the best of you, so you took him down and tried to injure him. There’s quite a difference.

Of course, Steelers’ fans defended Queen — whom they hated for years prior to March — on social media, blaming Bates.

By the picture’s appearance in this story, Bates won this battle. Unfortunately for the Commanders, the Steelers squeaked by with a 28-27 victory.

 

Mike Evans says he’s grown past feud after ejection, suspensions, and restaurant ban

Mike Evans has been ejected once, suspended twice, and banned from a New Orleans restaurant for starting fights with Marshon Lattimore. He says he’s more mature now:

Mike Evans says he’s learned his lesson from starting fights with Marshon Lattimore. Past feuds with the New Orleans Saints cornerback have cost the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver a lot — more than $100,000 in fines, an ejection, two different single-game suspensions, and a lifetime ban from a New Orleans barbecue restaurant.

Still, it remains a spirited rivalry, and Evans said he’s taking the high road. That doesn’t mean he isn’t looking forward to scrapping with Lattimore as long as their teams remain division opponents.

“Long as, you know, it’s within the play,” Evans told the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. “I’ve done a bad job in the past of making it go over the play when I shouldn’t have. But I’m more mature now and our team is focused on playing winning ball, and you can’t play winning ball when you get kicked out and things like that.”

Evans added that while you want to bring fire and energy and passion into the game, you can’t act irrationally because of it and hurt your team. That’s a balance he’s struggled to maintain in the past, and it doesn’t help that Lattimore consistently shuts him down. Evans has had a nice career. He’s averaged 4.9 catches and 75.2 yards per game over the years. But in a dozen previous games with Lattimore he’s had 5 or more receptions just once while beating that yardage average only twice.

“But I definitely want to have that fire and be physical and a little chirping never hurts. But you definitely have got to be smart,” Evans added.

There’s a lot to be said for letting your hands doing the talking, but Evans would be better served catching passes than throwing punches.

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WATCH: Things get tense between Chiefs teammates at Friday practice

Two #Chiefs had a verbal exchange that seemed to get heated during training camp practice on Friday.

The Kansas City Chiefs are a passionate bunch, and with a Super Bowl three-peat on the line this season, the team’s players are pushing each other to be great heading into their 2024 campaign.

During Kansas City’s practice session on Friday, running back Isiah Pacheco and linebacker Drue Tranquill exchanged what appeared to be some heated words after a one-on-one matchup in blocking drills.

Pacheco seemed to believe that he won his rep against Tranquill, and chirped at the veteran linebacker after the whistle blew.

Check out this video of the incident, which was posted to Twitter by KC Sports Network:

Though there won’t be any bad blood between Pacheco and Tranquill at the end of practice, this display of passion by the pair demonstrates just how hard Chiefs players are working at training camp.

Expect to see more fireworks from members of Kansas City’s roster ahead of the Chiefs’ first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 10.

Watch: Yellowstone coyotes ‘duke it out’ over prize buried in snow

Video footage reveals a dramatic scene involving two coyotes fighting over a bison carcass in Yellowstone National Park.

A guide leading a tour in Yellowstone National Park this week captured dramatic footage showing two coyotes battling over a presumed bison carcass buried in the snow.

The accompanying footage, captured by Yellowstone Wolf Tracker guide Michael Sypniewski, begins with one coyote launching an attack on the other coyote as it attempted to feast on the carcass.

Wolf Tracker’s description: “A couple mornings ago, Wolftracker guide @michaelwsyp and his guests watched two coyotes duke it out along the Lamar River. This intense back and forth battle went on for close to 10 minutes!”

The description continued: “Although obstructed from [the tour group’s] view, they believe the two canines were fighting over the remains of a bison carcass buried deep in the snow.”

The footage appears to show that the coyote already on the carcass was the dominant combatant.

As winter turns to spring, many of Yellowstone’s critters rely on frozen carcasses, revealed by melting snow, for sustenance.

Washington HS athletic department sees punches thrown at basketball game, injuries in running drill

A Shelton High School girls basketball player got into a brawl on the court, and a running drill at school allegedly resulted in injuries.

Punches were thrown during a girls high school basketball game in Washington on Jan. 31, the second incident involving the Shelton High School athletic department over the last couple weeks.

During the game between Shelton and Aberdeen, two players were going after the ball when a scuffle ensued. The video of the incident appears to show the Aberdeen player reaching around the Shelton player’s neck to go for the ball, and the Shelton player reacted defensively and aggressively by tackling the opponent and throwing three punches before a teammate pulled her off. Local podcast The Scrimmage posted the video onto social media platform X:

According to KIRO7, the Shelton player, who is 18 years old, was issued a criminal citation and will appear in front of a judge.

The player who was punched was evaluated for injury and able to return to the game, according to The Scrimmage. Aberdeen went on to win the game.

Just a day before, some parents at Shelton High School contacted KIRO7 about a different incident in which football players in a weight-lifting class took part in an “impromptu running drill.” Allegedly, the coach took student-athletes to the girls wrestling room to practice running the ball up the middle instead of taking it to the outside. In the drill, other students would tackle the person performing the drill, and there were allegedly no pads or helmets, parents who spoke to the outlet said.

Parents alleged that injuries included a concussion, a broken finger and a broken rib.

The police department told KIRO7 that it had not received any calls or reports about the incident.

Saints aren’t eager to explain in-game squabble between Derek Carr, Erik McCoy

The Saints are brushing off a squabble between Derek Carr and Erik McCoy. Dennis Allen says he ‘wouldn’t read too much into’ the heated altercation:

A lot happened in the New Orleans Saints’ win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday — both good and bad. But nothing caught fans’ attention more than the late-game altercation between quarterback Derek Carr and center Erik McCoy.

Carr picked himself up off the ground in a fury after being sacked by Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu, who beat right guard Cesar Ruiz to bowl Carr over as he dropped back to pass. Carr took aim at McCoy after the play, who responded in kind, and the pair had to be separated. Left guard James Hurst walled off McCoy as they returned to the sideline where backup quarterback Jameis Winston corralled Carr.

Other veterans on the team like running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. bridged the gap, and the pair eventually hashed things out together on the bench. The offense rallied to close out a 28-6 win. But there were few people in the locker room willing to discuss the incident after the game, including head coach Dennis Allen.

“These kinds of things happen on the field. I’m glad that both of them had the balls to stand up and fight,” Allen said after the game. “Guys, they get pissed. Sometimes things get emotional. I wouldn’t read too much into it. We addressed it. Let’s move on.”

Dustups do happen in pro football, but it’s unusual to see a franchise quarterback going back and forth like this with his center. The two players who touch the football on every single play should be in sync, and they clearly weren’t. Whether Carr misidentified the middle linebacker to set protection before the snap or McCoy failed to help Ruiz pick up the blitz is unclear, and they’re all more interested in moving forward than dwelling on it.

Both McCoy and Carr brushed over the issue after the game, reiterating Allen’s point that these things happen, they’re good now, and there are no divisions splitting the locker room apart (WWL Radio’s Jeff Nowak shared transcripts from their postgame media availability here if you’d like to read full comments). So we aren’t likely to get any real resolution on the record any time soon.

Still: it’s near-impossible to watch this team each week, pay attention when guys are speaking on camera and into microphones, and not come away feeling that something isn’t right. Players and coaches and front office executives are not in lockstep and that discord is reflected in their losing record. Hopefully they can mend fences, build on this win, and work towards a run at the NFC South crown. There’s too much invested in these players and this coaching staff to settle for less.

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