During the Titans 22-17 loss to the Saints on Sunday, receiver Damian Williams had a scary moment. At the end of a 54-yard catch-and-run Saints safety Roman Harper grabbed Williams by the face mask and dragged him to the ground, jerking his head back in a frightening motion. Harper was flagged for a 15-yard penalty on the play, but it was what he allegedly did after the facemask that set fellow receiver Nate Washington off.
“Honestly, he’s a dirty player,” Washington said according to The Tennessean. “I’ve been watching film on him. He’s dirty. I don’t appreciate it. I’m going to step out in public and say it. It’s unfortunate he grabbed the facemask. But at the same time, you don’t walk over a guy and nudge him with your knee. You don’t do that. That’s dirty. That’s a dirty player. Flat out. This is not just one game. He’s been doing it all season and I’m tired of it, honestly. I hope the league does something about it.”
Washington added that Titans coach Mike Munchak had warned his players to watch out for that type of play, particularly from Harper. When you have guys who are out there head-hunting all the time and causing concussions and others who stomp on opponents, a “nudge” with the knee doesn’t sound all that bad. That type of thing goes on constantly in the NFL and is one of the reasons guys like Rodney Harrison earn reputations as dirty players.
It’s possible Washington was simply frustrated after the game and I doubt Harper would be fined for something like that. As for the Saints safety, perhaps he is playing with a chip on his shoulder these days because he’s tired of being made fun of by his teammates.
