Jameis Winston has been replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick against the New Orleans Saints due to a shoulder injury, but he still managed to instigate a fight between cornerback Marshon Lattimore and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17yuG5xAjA8
While on the sideline, Winston poked the back of Lattimore’s helmet. That certainly wasn’t enough to cause a melee, but Evans came flying in to defend his quarterback and drilled the Saints cornerback.
No players were ejected on the play, but the Buccaneers were assessed a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness on Evans. Koetter said Evans should probably have been ejected, and he won’t be surprised if the wide receiver faces discipline from the league.
Koetter was right: Evans was suspended for one game.
After the game, Winston told reporters he was telling Lattimore to go to the sideline and said that Evans was just trying to defend his quarterback.
Its been a frustrating season for the Buccaneers who entered Sunday 2-5 and are soon to fall to 2-6 as the Saints are pulling away with a 30-3 lead at the time of the fight.
Tampa Bay was lucky that the fight on the sideline didn’t result in an ejection, but it could end up costing Winston and/or Evans when the NFL doles out punishments later in the week.
