Fight! Fight! Bills Address Late Brawls In 'Smashing' of Kenny Pickett's Steelers
October in Western New York often brings about the return of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, well known, along with the rest of their icy brethren, for five-minute major penalties for fighting.
Rob Ray was nowhere to be found on Sunday, but some Buffalo representatives might've been sent to the penalty box had the ice from the inaugural Winter Classic been laid down at Highmark Stadium on Sunday rather than the Buffalo Bills' turf.
The final stages of the Bills' 38-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers were marred by late, excessive physicality, including an exchange of not-so-pleasantries on the home team's sideline in the penultimate minute of the third quarter. A Pittsburgh reunion ... concerning the collegiate Panthers ... ironically, if not unintentionally, sparked the extracurriculars: as Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett scrambled for first down yardage, his slide toward the marker led to a big hit from former teammate Damar Hamlin, who leaned into Pickett with his shoulder after starting the tackle before the freshman thrower began his slide.
Pittsburgh's offensive line sprang into action against Hamlin, part of a Buffalo backup contingent in the game after the Bills built a 31-3 lead by that point. Guard James Daniels shoved Hamlin to the ground and was immediately confronted by Matt Milano, Jordan Phillips, Greg Rousseau, and Terrel Bernard. Several shoves occurred on the Buffalo sideline before Daniels escaped back to the playing surface in the chaos.
Notably absent from the fight was Hamlin, who addressed Pickett as the latter came to his feet. As calamity ensued, the two former Pittsburgh Panthers peacefully talked it over, as Hamlin explained after the game, referring to Pickett as his "brother."
"I wasn’t going to hurt him, I’m not going to play dirty, He knows that," Hamlin said, per SteelersNow. "I’m just playing within the lines of the game. If you’re supposed to slide, you’ve got to slide.”
Pickett reiterated the feelings of friendship toward Hamlin, brushing off the idea of a dirty by understanding Hamlin was merely "competing." Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin further absolved Hamlin of wrongdoing, calling him "a 412'er who plays hard," referencing Pittsburgh's area code.
Beyond the Pittsburgh peace summit, the frustrated and smashed Steelers were assessed two 15-yard penalties on the play: one for Daniels' retaliation (which was declined) and another for his blocking teammate Kevin Dotson shoving Rousseau from behind.
Tempers again came to a head on Pittsburgh's last play of the day: after Pickett launched a futile final throw, he took offense to Shaq Lawson's low pass rush, shoving the defender and causing another brouhaha. Offsetting penalties were called before the Bills' final kneeldowns, though Buffalo defensive end AJ Epenesa was dismissed for making contact with an official.
The acts did little to curb the enthusiasm of Highmark Stadium's crowd, who roared in approval as Epenesa soaked in adoration from the crowd. Epenesa claimed afterward that he was trying to remove Lawson from the fracas and inadvertently made contact with John Hussey.
Sunday's lead official didn't see it that way.
"From my perspective, all I saw was the quarterback get up and shove him,” Epenesa said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He’s frustrated. They're losing. Shaq makes a good play. That’s how football goes. And then the pile-up happens. I ran in there because all I see is a bunch of Steelers jerseys and Shaq Lawson in there. That’s my teammate.”
Pickett was not as charitable toward Lawson as he was toward Hamlin but, nonetheless, let things go.
"I felt like he went after my knee after I threw it," Pickett said, per the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. "Tempers flare. I don't care, I'm going to keep playing to the last play of the game. That was it. All good with me."
Frustration undoubtedly seeped from the Steelers' side after they became the latest victims of another blowout victory for Buffalo (4-1). Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes in a downright historic effort, the first coming one yard short of tying an unbreakable NFL record when he found Gabriel Davis for a 98-yard tally on the third play from scrimmage.
The Bills return to action next Sunday when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs ... and yes, things might be a little on-edge there as well.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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