Browns TE Alex Smith Accused of Taking Cheap Shots on Sunday
For the most part, Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Red Bryant had a great game on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. He blocked two field goals and almost single-handedly kept the Seahawks in the game.
However, he made one crucial error late in the fourth quarter. After the Seahawks sacked quarterback Colt McCoy with nearly a minute left in the game, Bryant head-butted Browns tight end Alex Smith, resulting in a penalty that gave the Browns an automatic first down, cementing the win.
After the game, Bryant said Smith was “talking the whole game” and taking cheap shots, obviously getting inside the defensive lineman’s head.
Smith had this to say in response:
"“I was confused by that,” Smith said. “Someone else said he called me a dirty player. I’ve never been called a dirty player in my seven years of playing football. I don’t know what he thought I did that was dirty but I always play right in between the whistles and that was that. There was a lot of jawing going back and forth but at the end of the day, my work was done when the whistle blows.”"
Sometimes, there is a very fine line between being aggressive and being “dirty.” It’s hard to know what kind of player Smith truly is, but there’s nothing wrong with trash talk during a game. If that is something that got into Bryant’s head, that’s a problem on his end. Browns fans should be pleased to know they have players who can get inside the minds of the opposition.