Cleveland- After a dominating 21-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night the Cleveland Browns‘ victory was overshadowed by a scuffle between Steelers’ quarterback Mason Rudolph and Browns’ defensive end Myles Garrett. Rudolph was trying to rally his team and put together a productive drive with under 45 seconds left in regulation. On first and ten, Rudolph wanted to throw the ball down the field, but pressure by Garrett made Rudolph check the ball down to his running back. After the play was over, Rudolph and Garrett went after each other. There was a lot of pushing and shoving. Rudolph pushed Garrett to the ground and initiated an attempt to rip Garrett’s helmet off. Both of the players were yanking and pulling each other on the ground. As soon as Garrett got up and planted his feet, he yanked the helmet off of Rudolph’s head. Rudolph came charging at him and Garrett hit him with his helmet on the top of his head.
Steelers’ offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey engaged in the scuffle after he saw what was happening to his QB. He charged Garrett, shoved him to the ground, and started kicking him. In his response to his actions, Pouncey wanted to protect his quarterback from getting hurt.
After everything was settled, here are some of the reactions following the incident. “Where did it cross the line? Maybe where he took my helmet off and used it as a weapon,” Rudolph said vis CBS Sports. “I know it was bush league. It was a total coward move on his part. It’s OK; I’ll take it. I’m not gonna take it from any bully.”
“I never OK’d fights. Did I want them to get after their ass? Yes, I did, but that’s not fighting, that’s not after the whistle,” Browns’ head coach Freddie Kitchens said via CBS Sports. “That’s between the whistles, yes. I never condone fighting on a football field because that’s penalties. I don’t coach penalties. I don’t coach false starts. I don’t coach, after the whistle, grabbing somebody’s face mask. I don’t coach that. I never in my life condoned a fight. That’s a penalty.”
After Garrett cooled down, he took responsibility for his actions and apologized for it. “I want to apologize to Mason Rudolph, my teammates, our entire organization, our fans and to the NFL. I know I have to be accountable for what happened, learn from my mistake and I fully intend to do so,” said Garrett via ESPN.
Garrett’s actions have led to an indefinite suspension, while Pouncey serves a three-game suspension.
