There weren’t many things that went wrong for the Cincinnati Bengals as a team in their win over the Cleveland Browns Sunday, but rookie linebacker Carl Lawson has certainly had better days.
After the game, Lawson did not want to speak on camera. He was feeling a bit self-conscious after some of his teeth were knocked out when he was attempting to sack DeShone Kizer.
“When I’m bringing him down I see my teeth just in the air,” Lawson recalled, via Jim Owczarski of USA Today Sports. “I’m like, ‘Oh crap.’”
To make matters worse, Lawson didn’t get credit for the sack. He thought he had dragged Kizer down, but the quarterback was able to get the ball off just in time for an incomplete pass.
The play happened near the Bengals’ sideline, and offensive tackle Andre Smith and some members of the Bengals medical staff ran out to help Lawson find his chiclets.
“It didn’t hurt,” Lawson said. “I just saw my teeth in the air.”
With Cincinnati leading 31-0, Lawson became a bit of a spectacle for his teammates, who gathered around him to assess the damage. The former Auburn star said he isn’t sure if his teeth will need to be replaced, and fellow linebacker Kevin Minter said he told the rookie he should have been wearing a mouth piece.
“He does not wear a mouthpiece,” Minter said. “You’re gonna listen now ain’t ya? I’ve been telling him since training camp.”
Will Lawson wear one going forward? He’s not saying.
“Either way, it was a freak accident, mouthpiece or not,” he told reporters. “A hit on the quarterback. I was hitting the quarterback. If it had gotten knocked out any other play, I probably would have been a little bit more upset. It was a good rush. I sacrificed my teeth for it.”
We’ve seen players get their chompers knocked out in other sports, but it’s far less common in football. Perhaps that’s because so many more players wear mouth guards in football. Live and learn, right?
