Pregame scuffles are nothing new in the NFL, but when players are forced to wait around in the rain to play the final minutes of a blow out, things can get ugly.
During a weather delay in the fourth quarter Sunday, a pair of punters from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos started a melee that wasn't caught by cameras, reports Mike Klis of 9news.
While players were stretching and getting ready to resume play, Broncos rookie punter Riley Dixon began practicing kicks that were landing on the Buc's side of the field, and Tampa Bay's Bryan Anger started returning the favor.
A member of the Broncos' equipment staff went to catch Dixon's punts on the other side of the field and Buccaneers players took exception to the invasion, telling him to get leave the area. Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus approached the equipment person and knocked of his hat, which caused Broncos' inactive safety Shiloh Keo to approach.
"Honestly, I thought they were being jerks," Keo said of the Bucs' players. "Here’s a guy who was trying to help them out by giving them a heads up. I think they got sour and took it the wrong way. And every day we’re taught to fight for each other. To me it doesn’t matter if you’re a player, a coach or somebody who works in the organization, we’re going to look after our own."
Fellow inactive Broncos Connor McGovern and Virgil Green also intervened before Bucs' coaches broke it up. Keo understands the Bucs' frustration being down 27-7with little hope to win, but he remained quite upset after the game.
"If anything yell at the player who was kicking the ball and we can understand and handle it that way," Keo said. "But you’re going to pick on somebody who’s out there who’s trying to keep everybody safe. He’s just doing what he’s told, who had nothing to do with the physical aspect of the game.
"I don’t know want happened when they went into the locker room (during the weather delay) but I’m sure there was some frustration. Because we were frustrated, too. We had to go out in that pouring rain and finish the game that in our minds was over already. To me it was unnecessary. And it ticked me off."
