New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes is not a very well-liked player in the Buffalo Bills locker room. The first time the two teams met this season, Spikes laid a vicious block on tight end Scott Chandler that many of the Bills felt was uncalled for. During New England’s victory on Sunday, Spikes was flagged for roughing the passer after another heavy hit on Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bills signal-caller was not pleased.
Fitzpatrick stood up and appeared to curse at Spikes following the play, and reporters asked him about it after the game.
“We’re not going to back down from anybody,” Fitzpatrick said according to the Boston Globe. “Spikes is an emotional player. I think he’s a punk at times. He took a cheap shot at Scott in the first game, and he was doing a lot of jabbering and talking and getting out there.
“Not one of my favorite players. Not high on my list.”
Buffalo center Eric Wood agreed with Fitzpatrick, calling Spikes a head-hunter and accusing him of trying to knock the quarterback out of the game.
Spikes was fined $21,000 for his block on Chandler earlier in the year. During his college days at Florida, there was an incident in which it appeared he intentionally tried gouging an opponent’s eyes after the whistle had blown (video here). Spikes is a bruiser and dishes out plenty of clean hits that force turnovers, but calling him a dirty player is not totally unprecedented.
