Swaggy’s Penalty Sparked Sideline Hassle
November 14th, 2017
Bucs coaches and players gather to try to calm emotions when middle linebacker Kwon Alexander (far left) and Robert Ayers barked at each other in the final seconds of the Bucs’ win over the Jets Sunday. (Image courtesy of CBS Sports.)
As Joe suspected, Robert Ayers didn’t disclose the full story of the sideline hassle that happened in the closing moments of the win over the Jets.
After Stewart McClown threw a touchdown pass to Robbie Anderson to pull within five points, Bucs middle linebacker Kwon Alexander and Ayers got into a heated jawing session. Kevin O’Donnell of WTVT-TV Channel 13 initially reported that Alexander was unnerved that Swaggy Baker committed a roughing the passer penalty by hitting McClown late, and low, on the Jets’ final drive, which Joe was a bit of a reach of a penalty.
The penalty bailed the Jets out and kept the drive alive and it ended in the Jets’ lone touchdown.
Alexander was enraged at Swaggy and somehow Ayers got in the middle of it. Bucs players and coaches had to get between Alexander and Ayers to prevent the hollering from escalating.
Ayers took to Twitter claiming O’Donnell was fabricating a story. But Monday, winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter and Swaggy himself confirmed O’Donnell was on track, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.
“I didn’t see it,” Koetter said of the barking between Alexander and Ayers. “I’ve been briefed on it. I’ve been told about it, but I think when that penalty happened pretty much everyone on the sideline wanted to get in a fight with Chris Baker, including me. He’d beat me up, so I didn’t. Chris is a very smart player and that was not a smart penalty.”
Laine talked to Swaggy and he said all is good.
“Everything was fine, Baker said. “We just wanted to shut them out in the second half and I made that dumb penalty. I didn’t think it was a penalty but I guess we’ll see once they turn it in or whatever. But guys were just passionate and wanted to win. We got into a little argument just because it was a dumb play, but that’s football. We hugged and kissed after it and we’re straight. … It was just two passionate players wanting to be great and wanting to make a play.”
First, Joe will repeat, he thought Swaggy got hosed. That was such a borderline call. Second, Joe finds it a good thing this took place. As Joe wrote yesterday, it shows dudes have a pulse, that the pilot light is still burning, and that they care.
Just by that stunt alone, it showed Joe guys haven’t checked out on Koetter.
November 14th, 2017 at 12:15 am
it took this long to get upset at penalties and touchdowns on this defense?
November 14th, 2017 at 12:25 am
^^^^ I also read how djx and Chris baker taking this team under “their” leadership and got some results damn man
November 14th, 2017 at 1:05 am
Joe that penalty was so correct it’s funny. Do you not watch football
November 14th, 2017 at 1:46 am
lurker Said:
“it took this long to get upset at penalties and touchdowns on this defense?”
———-
Right? Better to late than never, I guess.
If what Lamarcus said is true, gotta wonder about the distribution of Cs.
November 14th, 2017 at 1:59 am
No, never. Can count how many games Joe has watched in his life on one hand.
What’s a down marker, anyway?
#SarcasmAlert
November 14th, 2017 at 2:02 am
What’s the point anymore???
November 14th, 2017 at 2:03 am
Darryl Tapp got a sack this week too!!
November 14th, 2017 at 2:05 am
Good one Joe.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:07 am
I wish I was able to drive out of state to go to a game. Just to let this team know how big of a joke they are. There is absolutely no joy watching. This team compete. I’ve got lions fans and titans busting my balls about the bucs
November 14th, 2017 at 2:14 am
it’s weird the way this team sucks the fun out of a win.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:14 am
Our defense played hard all game!
Brent Grimes is the key!
He shuts down his side of the field every game!
LVD is having an All-Pro typr season and Beckwith is developing into the best SLB we have EVER had.
I love seeing Kwon and Kendall sitting next to each other on the sideline.
They are two badasses from the the Dirty South.
I am all about drafting southern studs in every draft!!
November 14th, 2017 at 3:34 am
Thank god there is still some pride on this football team. I’d rather see some passionate anger than loafing. Hopefully they can take that to the Dolphins and the Gruden fans will have to crawl back into their caves
November 14th, 2017 at 4:03 am
Was o.j. howard ever in the game??
November 14th, 2017 at 4:25 am
@Joe … “Alexander was enraged at Swaggy and somehow Ayers got in the middle of it.” That’s the part I still don’t get: Why was Kwon enraged at Ayers? Why not at Baker? There’s still more to the story than meets the eye.
And as far as the Jets game showing that “these dudes have a pulse, the pilot light is still burning, and that they still care” goes Joe, I’m sure you’re right BUT … even if the Bucs’ defense played like that for our remaining 7 games, we’d probably lose all 7. This offense is abysmal. Rushing: 31-for-90 yds. Gross. Passing: 17-for-34 for 187 yds (1 TD & 1 INT) for a total of 15 pts. I thought Fitz did a commendable job considering that our OLine has totally forgotten how to run block & seems to have this penchant for committing drive-killing penalties. Koetter the OC has to find a way to get this offense to put more points on the board. And as far as continuing to switch out Pamphile & Evan Smith at Guard goes (they each played half the game once again), IT’S NOT WORKING DIRK. Please move Marpet back to Guard & let either Joe Hawley or Evan Smith play Center. Either sit Pamphile and play Sweezy or vice-versa. But please stop with the musical linemen.
November 14th, 2017 at 5:48 am
Does Koetter see anything on the sidelines? First he “doesnt see” Winston and Evans getting in a fight. Now he doesnt see an abnormaly heated argument between 2 players. What is he looking at when all this is happening?
November 14th, 2017 at 6:49 am
Yes, Coach Koetter, Chris Baker is a “very smart player”. After the season, there is a good chance that he will be cut (or run out of town) with how many years remaining on his contract? #PaidFloridaVacation #GlazerLootIsTaxFree
November 14th, 2017 at 7:14 am
Baker got a 3 year deal but Licht was smart. >> POTENTIAL OUT: 2018, 1 YR, $6,000,000; $0 DEAD CAP
November 14th, 2017 at 8:46 am
I’m glad they were fired up! Those are the type of penalties (ticky-tack or not!) that lose football games. For them to play so well through 3+ quarters then have a bone-head play put the victory on the line, somebody better get in somebody’s face.
November 14th, 2017 at 8:49 am
#KwontonSoup vs. #GeneralSwaggysChicken
everyone who attends the fight gets a fortune cookie as a free giveaway at the gates
November 14th, 2017 at 9:34 am
LVD, Grimes, McCoy….any of those get that penalty, it slides. Baker didn’t get the benefit of the doubt for a reason….i’m guessing the guys with passion are tired of the guys just out there collecting a check costing them games.
November 14th, 2017 at 9:53 am
A couple of thoughts. While I agree with Joe the penalty was a bit iffy…I think when he got McCown’s legs all tangled which could have caused a Carson Palmer like blown knee…and given the time and score the refs just said enough is enough.
Whatever…as Baker has admitted you CAN’T do that at that point in the game.
It’s the Bucs! How many stupid penalities have cost us big time. What if the Jets recover the onsides kick and hit a prayer at the end to beat us. What would we be saying today?
I think Koetter nailed it. EVERYBODY on the sideline wanted to fight Swaggy at that point. LOL Swaggy admitted his mistake and everybody seems to have moved on leaving us with a good taste in our mouth for a change…a team that cares enough to be angry of stupid penalties at critical junctures in the game…yeaaaaa!
November 14th, 2017 at 11:06 am
Well then Lee you should know in this day and age what a roughing the passer is and that’s the posterboy for that penalty. Manziel is a stud too
November 14th, 2017 at 11:22 am
StPete so the players and coach and baker himself said it was a dumb play but you agree that it wasn’t a penalty. Completely just contradicted yourself. One. You can’t go that low on a qb. Two. You. cannot do it 2 seconds after he throws the ball. If that touchdown won the game we would be burying baker for the flag but it didn’t matter much so we say it was a bad call. It was the right call. Should it be a penalty? No. But it’s 2017 and those are the rules. Shame but it’s true
November 14th, 2017 at 12:27 pm
first of all it was like a half second after throwing the ball, but 2… but whatever, he was already down on the ground, QB legs are in sight so your instinct is to grab them and pull the guy down.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:25 pm
Broy,
I gave Joe the benefit of the doubt on it being “iffy”. If you want absolute confirmation OK. LOL.
Two horrible things could have happened from that play. The first did…stupid penalty..cost us a TD…that literally gave the Jets a desperate chance to pull that game out.
The second thankfully did not….I hate when QB’s get blown knees from a play like that. Everytime I see that Steeler blowing up Carson Palmer’s knee when he was with the Bengals makes me sad. I think Palmer was a borderline great QB but he was never the same after the knee.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:43 pm
lurker Says
“it’s weird the way this team sucks the fun out of a win.”
That’s not the team. It’s the fans. Take a good long look in the mirror…and then look at your posts since the win.
November 14th, 2017 at 2:46 pm
StPeteBucsFan, I have to agree with you.
And on a side note, the haters always read what they want to read, not what is actually written.
I’m happy with the win. Very happy.
And I am cautiously optimistic for the next game.