The Buccaneers’ terrible performance on the field Sunday against the Saints also included an ugly incident on the sideline, when linebacker Adam Hayward and assistant coach Bryan Cox got into a shoving match.
The incident began when Cox (who was known for having a fiery temper during his playing days as an NFL linebacker) seemed to be stepping onto the field to argue a call with an official. Hayward put his hands on Cox in an attempt to restrain him, then Cox shoved Hayward, then Hayward shoved Cox back even harder, and then both men started yelling at each other before linebacker Jacob Cutrera got between them and broke things up. Video of the incident is here.
Schiano said after the game that he didn’t like seeing a coach-player shoving match, but he wasn’t going to overreact to it, either.
“I’m not happy about it, but I do know that it’s been resolved,” Schiano said, via PewterReport.com. “I think you chalk it up to heat of the moment. Guys are very passionate. Adam is a passionate player. Coach Cox is a passionate coach. I know they’re very close. And they’re, I think, more of a family spat in a frustrating time than, you know, anything that I’m deeply concerned about. I know they’ve already smoothed that over. But again, it’s not what a football team that I’m the head coach of I want to see. So certainly it’s been addressed, and it will be addressed and we’ll move forward from it. But it need not happen again.”
If it does happen again, Schiano has even bigger problems on his hands than Sunday’s 41-0 loss would suggest. Schiano has been preaching discipline all season, and it doesn’t get much more undisciplined than a player and coach getting into a shoving match.