Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Not cool if players lose theirs
Flores preaches poise to Dolphins in wake of Steelers-Browns skirmish
DAVIE — Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores said the helmet-swinging altercation between Cleveland Browns defender Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph on Thursday night was unfortunate and he hopes his players can learn from the incident.
Flores said players from both sides must remain poised in the heat of battle despite tensions rising during games. After the Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 11, they will visit the Browns for their Week 12 matchup on Nov. 24.
“We show a lot of clips throughout the league where guys lose their poise [and] guys do a great job of keeping their poise … We try to educate them in a lot of different areas,” Flores said. “Whether that one makes the list, we’ll
see. I think it’s one that everyone will have seen.
“I think our team understands, or I hope they understand, how important it is to keep your poise. In order to play good football, you need to have that. But I also know it’s an emotional game and sometimes things happen.
“Again, none of us who have been involved in the game long enough have experienced [an incident like] that in some form or fashion, so [we can’t] make excuses or say, ‘It’s OK.’ It’s never OK. I think there are consequences for your actions at all levels — that’s players, coaches, personnel, [media], everybody. You have to show poise in certain situations and really all situations.”
Garrett pulled Rudolph’s helmet off his head, then swung the helmet to hit Rudolph in the head. The altercation was sparked by Garrett tackling Rudolph to the ground well after he got rid of the football on a play, and Rudolph tussling on the field while trying to take off Garrett’s helmet. It all occurred with eight seconds remaining in Cleveland’s 21-7 win over Pittsburgh.
The NFL announced Friday that Garrett would be suspended indefinitely without pay for the remainder of the regular season and postseason. He was also fined after the league determined Garrett violated unnecessary-roughness and unsportsmanlikeconduct rules, including fighting, removing the helmet of an opponent and using the helmet as a weapon.
“I lost my cool and I regret it,” Garrett told reporters after the game. “It’s going to come back to hurt our team. The guys who jumped into the scrum, I appreciate my team having my back, but it never should have gotten to that point. It’s on me.”
Rudolph, however, was not disciplined with a suspension or fine.
“I thought it was pretty cowardly and bush league,” Rudolph said. “I’m not going to back down from any bully. I felt like I had a bone to pick with him. I appreciate the line always having my back, but I was angry.”
Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey was suspended for three games and fined for his actions, which included punching and kicking Garrett while he was pinned to the ground by Steelers lineman David DeCastro. Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, who pushed Rudolph down after Garrett swung the helmet, was suspended for one game and issued a fine.
The Steelers and Browns were both fined $250,000, and additional players who left their sidelines during the altercation could incur discipline by the league.
After facing the Bills this week, the Dolphins will prepare for next week’s game against the Browns without Garrett and Ogunjobi.
“Obviously, it was an unfortunate incident. … It’s unfortunate,” Flores said. “You don’t want to see that in the game, but people make mistakes. For all intent and purposes, everything I’ve heard about players on both sides, they’re good guys and I’ll leave it at that.”