Trent McDuffie #22 of the Kansas City Chiefs tackles Ja’Marr Chase #1 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
There is a trend in football where selfish players cost teams they play for. We spent all day yesterday talking about how Eagles running back Saquon Barkley cost the Eagles a win by dropping a football. That was a physical mistake and he will bounce back from it.
But what about other players who put themselves and their massive egos ahead of 52 other players and an entire coaching staff that put in hours of prep, blood, sweat and tears into a game? We saw a couple of examples this week where selfish players cost teams.
SELFISH PLAYERS COST TEAMS
In the Bengals - Chiefs game Sunday Cincinnati receiver Ja'Marr Chase lost his mind on an official and threw a temper tantrum all the way to the sideline in the 4th quarter of a close game because he thought he was the victim of a dangerous hip-drop tackle. Instead of the Chiefs receiving a penalty, Chase and the Bengals received an unsportsmanlike penalty. He still seemed hot-headed about the play after the game and sees no wrong-doing on his part in a game the Bengals lost by one point.
And in Monday night's Falcons win over the Eagles where Drake London caught the game-tying touchdown pass with seconds remaining he simulated gunfire in his celebration and received a 15 yard penalty that forced his kicker Younghoe Koo to attempt a 48-yard extra point for the win. Luckily for the Falcons Koo made the kick. But what if he had missed?
Either coaches need to be tougher on these boneheaded players or team mates better get in their faces and shut this stuff down. For more examples when selfish players cost teams and the latest football talk, tune in each weekday to Craig Shemon and Company from 2-6pm on ESPN Southwest Florida.
