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.
I’ve never seen Washington Commanders TE John Bates get as mad as he did Sunday.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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:
This happened last night in an Aberdeen girls basketball win over Shelton.
We’re going to keep the names out of it (because they are high school kids), but the Shelton player was ejected, and the Aberdeen player was evaluated for injury and was able to return to the game. pic.twitter.com/gzXYCMJxGp
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.
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:
Here's the full play and heated argument between Derek Carr and Erik McCoy after the sack in the Saints win over the Panthers. James Hurst was trying to calm McCoy down as they went to the sideline. @wdsupic.twitter.com/SnoZ23zBdz
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.
Saints Twitter reacts to Erik McCoy and Derek Carr’s onfield argument
The frustration has reached new peaks with the New Orleans Saints as center Erik McCoy and quarterback Derek Carr were seen on the FOX broadcast walking off the field in a heated argument; Carr had just been bowled over by a blitzing Carolina Panthers linebacker.
It was shocking to see given the even-keeled personality of Erik McCoy, but fans were happy to see some accountability for the lack of offensive success. They made up on the bench with veterans like Alvin Kamara, Lynn Bowden Jr., and Keith Kirkwood mediating but it’s clear things aren’t in a good place.
Here are some reactions to the event from across Twitter and an update a little bit later into the quarter:
After 19 ejections, a near 29-point comeback, and a holding call on a two-point conversion attempt, Higley High School held the Arizona state championship trophy.
Higley High School (Gilbert, Ariz.) ran onto the field in jubilation and celebration as they successfully prevented a two-point conversion without any time on the clock to take down Desert Edge (Goodyear, Ariz.) 42-41 in a battle for the ages for the Arizona Interscholastic Association 5A championship.
The game featured 19 ejections, a near-30-point comeback, and a controversial call by the referees that played a role in the final play of the game.
Where to start?
With about 1:21 remaining in the first half and Higley leading 22-7, a fight broke out after a punt return by Higley. It is not fully clear what caused it from the NFHS Network video, but it appears there was a big blindside block on the return. You can see it around the three-second mark in this video:
Higley and Desert Edge Coaching staffs actually did an incredible job of breaking this up before it got out of hand. pic.twitter.com/ILxOQHjuDW
According to Arizona Republic reporter Richard Obert, who was at the game, multiple players from Desert Edge’s sideline ran across the field toward the altercation. Zach Alvira at the East Valley Tribune reported that punches were thrown, and a referee attempting to pull players off each other fell to the ground.
In the video of the aftermath posted by Obert, there appears to be two dozen to three dozen Desert Edge players returning to their sideline:
This is ugly with 1:21 left in half. Fighting in scuffle, a ref gets knocked down, desert edge players rush field from sidelines. Big mess pic.twitter.com/YIjz9EXu00
The search goes on for video of what happened in between, but a photo from Patrick Breen published to the Arizona Republic shows a snapshot of a Desert Edge player going after a Higley player while another Higley player is attempting to calm the situation and a third is being held back by a teammate.
(Photo: Patrick Breen/Arizona Republic)
Head coaches met at midfield and were given a list of players who were ejected. In total, 16 Desert Edge players and three Higley players were done for the game, with another half of football yet to be played. The Higley Knights, who out-gained Desert Edge 391-137 over the first two quarters, took a 28-13 lead into halftime after two touchdowns — a 59-yard reception by Higley junior John Decausmaker and an 89-yard kickoff return by Desert Edge senior Kezion Dia-Johnson — occurred in the final minute of the second quarter.
With the Desert Edge Scorpions down so many players, Higley escalated its lead to 41-13 in the third quarter.
Then, the game truly began.
With 1:53 left in the third, Desert Edge junior quarterback Hezekiah Millender threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jaqua Anderson. Dia-Johnson came up big again with 10 minutes to go in the fourth, catching a 79-yard touchdown pass, and then he set up another touchdown five minutes later with a 53-yard reception that put Desert Edge at the goal line.
Over just over 10 minutes of play, the Scorpions had cut the deficit from 29 to a one-possession game.
They got a chance to tie or win with the clock ticking down. Desert Edge drove the ball 90 yards downfield and rushed the ball in, setting up a two-point conversion attempt.
“We didn’t come here to tie,” Scorpions co-head coach Mark Carter told the Arizona Republic after the game.
The first one looked good, with Deshawn Warner getting to his left and into the end zone, but a holding flag brought the ball back and shut down the Scorpions’ celebration.
Crazier than September merry go round. Warner 2 point try to win it with no time left called back by holding. Will try tie pic.twitter.com/IBhL4zHTTy
Peter Clark with 5 Star Sports Media posted a video he shot from behind the end zone, showing the lineman (No. 62 in the white jersey) who was called for the hold:
My view of the “hold” on #62 for DE from tonight, looks to me as if #10 for Higley pushes #62 into #44. Don’t see how that constitutes as a hold when his momentum pushed him into him, no jersey grab just into the ground. That is what i call a BLOCK. 🤷🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/BSrfvwOiEf
Higley stormed the field with arms in the air, celebrating what may be the wildest championship game we’ll see this weekend.
Knights quarterback Gunner Fagrell finished with a line of 28-for-42 with 365 passing yards and two touchdowns, according to the East Valley Tribune. Running back Daxen Hall had 332 total yards — 219 rushing, 113 receiving on seven receptions — and punched in a pair of touchdowns.
On Desert Edge’s side, Millender went 16-for-20 with 326 yards, while Dia-Johnson finished with six receptions for 211 yards. The Scorpions finished the season 11-3.
Higley finished 12-2, and one of the only losses they experienced was to Desert Edge in another exciting contest, a 38-32 game.
The Knights got revenge on Friday night, aggressively attacking on offense through three quarters and then hanging on at the end to win their second championship in a row.
After going 2-9 only two seasons ago, Higley got on top in 2022 and has not relinquished the trophy since.
Here are some of the best reactions to the two teams getting into a squabble near midfield before kickoff.
Before the two sides got to fighting it out on the field, they got to an actual fight. The Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers are both in need of a victory as the two teams are set to square off on Monday Night Football. With Dallas at 3-2 and the Chargers’ record at 2-2 coming off a bye, neither can afford to lose any more ground on the 5-1 teams atop their respective conferences.
The emotions spilled into fisticuffs with the two teams in pregame warmups. It appears that the Chargers were in the way of the Cowboys and some players took exception. The clearest videos see several players getting into it, including Dallas DE Dante Fowler catching Chargers RB Austin Ekeler with a right hand that knocked the latter’s helmet off.
Of course, after being embarrassed last week in San Francisco, the prevailing sentiments among observers on Twitter were a range of “oh now they want to show fight.” Here are some of the best reactions.
So far this summer, Broncos players have done a pretty good job of not escalating any scuffles into big fights at practice. Denver coach Sean Payton wants that to continue when the team hosts the Rams on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Hopefully that’s not a big issue,” Payton said in July when asked about fights at practice. “It hasn’t been a big issue wherever I’ve been. We have to have the discipline when the whistle blows to get onto the next play.
“We see it every year where there is a personal foul or something silly or something stupid that only harms the team. You have to practice that. You deal with it on a case-by-case basis. We have taken players and sent them in, but hopefully that’s not a big issue.”
“I think Sean [McVay] will do a great job with his team,” Payton said on Tuesday. “My experience — it’s been with the Chargers over the years. It’s been with the Patriots. We’ve had a lot of good work take place without any fighting, so I don’t expect that to be an issue at all.”
The Broncos and Rams will hope everyone keeps their cool on the practice field leading up to Saturday’s preseason finale.
