Tag: Myles Garrett

Multiple players suspended for Browns-Steelers fight

Three players, including Myles Garrett, were suspended for their roles in the Steelers-Browns fight on Thursday night.

If you missed the Week 11 contest between the AFC North rivals Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, you missed a complete meltdown at the end of the game. Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett ripped Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph’s helmet off and swung it at him, connecting with his head and sparking a melee in the end zone at FirstEnergy Stadium.

A day later and the end result is the suspension of three players – two from Cleveland and one from Pittsburgh — as well as some big fines, according to the NFL.

  • Garrett is suspended indefinitely, which will include the rest of the 2019 season at a minimum.
  • Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi is suspended for one game.
  • Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey is suspended for three games.
  • Pittsburgh and Cleveland were fined $250,000 each.

There also appears to be some additional punishments coming down the line for other players as the league dives further into what happened during the scuffle.

These suspensions will deal a big blow to both the Steelers’ and Browns’ chances of making the postseason. All three players are starters and have been important pieces of their respective teams. Furthermore, if Garrett’s suspension holds, he’ll end up missing the Week 16 Ravens-Browns rematch that could very well decide Cleveland’s postseason fate.

With their win, the Browns are now 4-6 while the Steelers sit at 5-5. Even if Baltimore were to lose this week to the Houston Texans, the Ravens would still effectively hold a three-game lead over Pittsburgh given their head-to-head tiebreaker from the Week 5 win.

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Myles Garrett suspended indefinitely, at least through the end of the 2019 season

After one of the ugliest incidents in NFL history, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has been suspended indefinitely.

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Following the incident near the end of the Browns’ win over the Steelers on Thursday Night Football in which Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett removed Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph’s helmet and hit him in the head with it, you knew NFL justice was going to come fairly quickly. The incident went viral overnight and gave the NFL several black eyes in the process, so the league fired back as quickly as it could.

As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Garrett has been suspended indefinitely, which in the league’s purview means that he will not see any on-field action throughout this season and the playoffs. Garrett must speak with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell before he is to be reinstated next season. In addition, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, who came to his quarterback’s defense and was ejected, will be suspended for the next three games, and Browns defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi, who was also ejected, was suspended for one game. Each team was fined $250,000 for the fracas.

Per the NFL’s statement, “Additional discipline for other players will be forthcoming through the standard accountability process, including those players that left the bench to enter the fight area.”

Rudolph, who appeared to attempt to remove Garrett’s helmet in response to Garrett’s late hit with eight seconds left in the game, was not suspended. Fines have not been ruled out for Rudolph and other players. We also have no word at this point what might happen to Browns safety Damarious Randall, who was ejected halfway through the third quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson, who left the field bleeding from his right ear.

This was one of the ugliest games in NFL history, and the fallout is just beginning. Stay tuned to Touchdown Wire for further news as it develops.

Touchdown Wire editor Doug Farrar has also covered football for Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post, and Football Outsiders. His first book, “The Genius of Desperation,” a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018 and won the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Nelson Ross Award for “Outstanding recent achievement in pro football research and historiography.”

Bill Belichick drops jokes about his heavy social media use: ‘I don’t want to get left behind’

“I don’t want to get left behind on that… Then (I) brush my teeth.”

As fans around New England are well aware, Patriots coach Bill Belichick was an original social media influencer from his time with “SnapFace” and other various other sites.

I kid: there is no NFL coach less likely to put his information online than Belichick. And he doesn’t seem to engage in the conversation either. So when a reporter talked explained that social media was abuzz on Friday morning, Belichick interrupted: “Oh really?”

Belichick was then informed Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett’s helmet-fighting incident was hot-button topic on Twitter. After the whistle, Garrett ripped off Mason Rudolph’s helmet and swung it his head. Garrett received an indefinite suspension from the NFL on Friday.

After a more serious commentary on the situation with Garrett, Belichick got back to the Twitter discussion. He was playfully asked if checking social media was one of his daily morning routines.

“Pretty much,” Belichick said. “See what happens and check it out. Absolutely. Interact with everybody and see what they think, get my opinions out there.

“I don’t want to get left behind on that,” he added. “Then (I) brush my teeth.”

The New England Patriots (8-1) will travel to Lincoln Financial Field to face the Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) on Sunday.

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Myles Garrett suspension: Browns owner Jimmy Haslam releases statement

Myles Garrett has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL.

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Thursday night’s game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers ended with a fight on the field after Myles Garrett tackled Mason Rudolph to the ground with 8 seconds left. Things escalated when Garrett removed Rudolph’s helmet and struck him in the head with it, resulting in an immediate ejection.

On Friday, Garrett was suspended indefinitely by the NFL, and he will be forced to miss the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, if the Browns make it. Browns co-owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam issued a statement on the ruling and Garrett’s actions, saying “there is no place for that in football.”

In addition to Garrett being suspended indefinitely, Larry Ogunjobi was suspended one game for his actions. The Browns were also fined $250,000, as were the Steelers.

Maurkice Pouncey of the Steelers received a three-game ban for punching and kicking Garrett.

Myles Garrett suspended indefinitely by the NFL

Myles Garrett suspended indefinitely by the NFL, will miss at least the remainder of 2019 including the postseason

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Myles Garrett knew a suspension was coming. The Browns defensive end expected it after he struck Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph over the head with Rudolph’s own helmet as part of an ugly brawl near the end of Cleveland’s 21-7 win on Thursday night.

Now Garrett knows how long he will miss. The NFL swiftly suspended the star pass rusher indefinitely for his unprecedented act of violence on the field.

Garrett will miss at least the remainder of the 2019 season, including any playoff games the Browns might qualify for after the regular season.

Sean McDermott says Bills discussed Myles Garrett in team meeting

Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott on Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett.

Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett send shockwaves across the sporting world on Thursday Night Football when he ripped Mason Rudolph’s helmet right off the Steelers QB’s head and swung it at him.

Some analysts, fans, and even players have suggested legal action against him.

Like most, the Bills were watching when things unfolded or saw a replay of the action. Buffalo head Sean McDermott is amongst that faction.

“My reaction is, there’s no place in the game for that. Absolutely none,” McDermott said to WGR-550 radio.

The coach said he was so taken aback by what happened, he discussed the incident with his team during a meeting earlier Friday morning.

“We talked about it this morning in a team meeting. Just to make sure we are on the same page. When you take someone’s well-being into your own hands, that’s crossing the line. We like to believe we do things right, that we’re a class organization and it is a physical, aggressive sport. But there is a line,” McDermott said.

“The general message was that we’re an aggressive, physical football team, and within that, there’s going to be some penalties. It’s an aggressive sport. Things get called once in a while. We understand that, I understand that. There’s a line that, as a class organization, you don’t cross,” McDermott added.

Tempers certainly run high during a football game, but even football-lifer types of folks like McDermott are stunned at Garrett’s actions. Many Bills players took to Twitter to say just as much in the moment as well on Thursday. Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano was among them and suggested Garrett’s NFL career could be over.

“Myles Garrett about to be the star player in the XFL,” Feliciano said.

 

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Current, former Saints players react to Steelers-Browns brawl

The NFL’s Thursday Night Football game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers took a nasty turn when a fight broke out; the skirmish followed Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett’s takedown of Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, and ended …

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The NFL’s Thursday Night Football game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers took a nasty turn when a fight broke out; the skirmish followed Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett’s takedown of Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, and ended up involving multiple players from both teams. Garrett and Steelers offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey were ejected, and suspensions are expected to be handed out by the league office in the coming days.

And the events didn’t go unnoticed by several New Orleans Saints players, both those with the team now and others who have since retired. Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan observed that while Rudolph instigated the fight by trying to take off Garrett’s helmet, there’s no excusing Garrett’s response to batter the quarterback with his own helmet.

Wide receiver Michael Thomas also chimed in, pointing out that one should, “Know who you running up on” before starting a fight. There’s a clear size mismatch between the 236-pound Rudolph and 271-pound Garrett, making the quarterback’s decision to start grappling with his opponent somewhat questionable.

Longtime Saints right tackle Zach Strief focused on Garrett’s use of Rudolph’s helmet as a weapon, noting that the action would be expensive and asking, “Anyone know the current fine for assault with a deadly weapon?”

An interesting perspective comes from former Saints offensive lineman Kyle Turley, who once defended quarterback Aaron Brooks by removing an opponent’s helmet and throwing it across the field. Turley chided both Garrett and Pouncey for risking a series brain injury with so many blows to the head:

Obviously there’s no place in football — or any other professional setting — for this sort of violence, but it’s also clear that neither Garrett nor Rudolph and the other Steelers players involved came out of this looking innocent. Hopefully the NFL can navigate the situation tactfully and do its part to discourage future incidents like this.

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Bills playoff picture: Browns down Steelers, likely lose Myles Garrett

Buffalo Bills playoff picture with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Myles Garrett and Mason Rudolph.

There’s a lot to note from Week 11 of the NFL season in regard to the Bills’ playoff picture.

And it’s only Friday.

So far, we’ve only seen Thursday Night Football. That contest was between two teams within reach of the Bills in the AFC playoff picture.

Heading into the game, the Browns needed to, and did, win, over the Steelers. The score was 21-7. Pittsburgh was holding the second wild card spot at 5-4 but no longer is. Cleveland’s now a 4-6 and while still on the outside looking in, they’re hot after beating the Bills last week, too.

That also means if they stay hot, Buffalo will have lost that tiebreaker.

But the huge story out of this game is Myles Garrett. The pass rusher is Cleveland’s best player and his season could be over. After getting tied up with Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, he ripped off his helmet and swung it at him.

Yes, that happened:

Garrett owned up to what happened after the game.

“I made a mistake, I lost my cool and I regret it,” Garrett said.

But some are calling for legal action against Garrett for what he did. This could get ugly.

Regardless, Rudolph was not happy, naturally.

“I know it’s bush league, and I know it’s a total coward move on his part,” Rudolph said.

But to round things out, this is a big blow to the Browns’ chances of catching the Bills in the standings.

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Myles Garrett and the fan dilemma

Myles Garrett and the dilemma for his fans after his horrible actions on Thursday night vs. Mason Rudolph and the Steelers

Myles Garrett had quickly endeared himself as one of my favorite NFL players. I loved his game, his blend of speed and power, his ever-improving technical skills. But what really drew me to Garrett was the man behind the anime eye shield. A poet, a dinosaur enthusiast, a big kid who reveled in being different, being smart, being more than just an incredible physical specimen.

Had.

I need to use past tense because after Thursday night’s despicable act, I’m not so sure anymore. I’m certainly not wearing his No. 95 jersey — the first Browns jersey I’ve owned since my beloved No. 57 Clay Matthews from when I was a kid — again anytime soon. Maybe ever.

What Garrett did cannot be defended. No matter the provocation, no matter what was said or done leading up to it, what Garrett did is abhorrent. There is never any justification or defense of hitting another player over the head with a helmet.

And therein lies the dilemma. What do you do when one of your favorite players, one of your heroes, does something so insanely intolerable?

I don’t know how to reconcile it just yet. It’s going to take some time. I watch the incessant replays of the incident and I cannot believe it’s the same Myles Garrett I shared a fun laugh with on the sideline at training camp in August, joking about Devaroe Lawrence’s dancing, of all things. This cannot be the same guy who spontaneously shows up at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and hangs out with school kids on field trips.

I think back to the first time I met Garrett. At the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, I stood in front of his interview podium and asked him a question about his ankle injury. He smiled and gave an honest answer.

I remember thinking, how can this giant human be so calm, so erudite? He looked like he was flexing out of his dark Under Armour top like he had just finished a set of impossibly heavy power cleans, but he had the demeanor of the favorite fifth-grade teacher at the elementary school.

How could you not love Myles Garrett?!?

Now that seems so distant, so irreversibly lost. Garrett was a player I openly raved about on the radio, on podcasts and in print, but also in person. He was a player I held up to my son, who just finished his first season of organized football in eighth grade. Be like Myles, son.

No. Not anymore. Not ever.

Garrett will never outlive this ignominy. I think of Kermit Washington and his legacy after his bare-knuckled assault on Rudy Tomjanovich that is the only thing anyone ever recalls of the former NBA player. I think of Dale Hunter and his shameless cheap shot on Pierre Turgeon in the NHL playoffs.

Those are not the comparisons I want for a player I liked and respected so much. But that’s where we are with Myles Garrett. It will be impossible to ever look at him the same.

How soon can we forgive? How hard can we cheer for Garrett when he makes his return from his inevitable and well-deserved suspension? I can’t answer those questions, because there are no easy answers.

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Browns’ Myles Garrett swings helmet at Steelers QB Mason Rudolph with seconds left in game

NFL players weigh in on the explosive brawl between Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mason Rudolph.

NFL players weigh in on the explosive brawl between Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mason Rudolph.