Ban for Evans, not A.J.?

SO, TO REVIEW:

Bengals receiver A.J. Green goes WWE “Smack Down’’ ballistic on Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey last week and will play in Sunday’s game at Tennessee.

And Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans, who defended his quarterback with a retaliation hit on Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, is suspended for Sunday’s against the Jets.

Weird league. Weird enforcement of rules.

What Green did to Ramsey — jumping him from behind, taking him down in a choke-hold and throwing punches — could get him arrested if it happened on a public street.

What Evans did to Lattimore, who was mixing it up with Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston near the sideline, was egregious and warranted ejection and possibly the one-game suspension he received.

But how was that any different from what Green did to Ramsey?

According to ESPN, in the letter Evans received from the league regarding his suspension, the NFL cited the rule that prohibits unsportsmanlike conduct, which includes “any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship,” such as “throwing a punch, or a forearm, or kicking at an opponent, even though no contact is made.”

OK, got it. There’s little argument Evans violated that edict. But so did Green, who also should have been suspended.

It was Winston’s immature action that led to Evans’ poor decision, because it was Winston who provoked the Saints cornerback by poking him in the back of the helmet at the sideline. Winston, who was out of the game with a shoulder injury, wasn’t even on the field for the play.

Winston’s action, as much as anything, warranted ejection and possible suspension, though he’s out this week anyway with that shoulder injury.

The bigger picture here is Winston, who’s quarterbacking arguably the most disappointing team in the league (the Bucs are 2-6 after entering the season with playoff aspirations), continues to do curiously immature things despite his pledge to become more of a mature leader in Tampa Bay.

What a mess.