Tennessee Titans center Rob Turner was flagged for a peel-back block on JJ Watt during his team’s overtime loss to the Houston Texans last weekend. He was also fined for the play, which has been deemed illegal this year thanks to a rule change. Although it’s a brand new rule, Watt called the play “absolutely” dirty after the game. Turner took exception to that.
“I’ve been taught to cut on screen (plays) ever since I was a kid,” Turner said, via Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean. “It was a rule change this year and it was something I didn’t think about, I just reacted.
“I am a hard-nosed guy and that gets misconstrued sometimes. I know J.J. was saying all sorts of stuff to the media down there about him (telling me he has) a family to feed and stuff like that, but all that wasn’t true and he’s full of it for saying it. That was a lie about him talking to me.”
Watt told reporters he doesn’t want to have his knee blown out and that the so-called cheap shot was “clearly blatant.” Turner said he tried to apologize on the field but that Watt wouldn’t give him the time of day.
“Whether you call it an apology or whether you call it a professional courtesy, I was trying to say, ‘Hey I wasn’t going after you like that, and you can see that on film,’” Turner explained. “And it bothered me he made a big stink about it. For the record, he wouldn’t even look at me, and I don’t have a problem if you put that in print. In fact, I’d encourage you to put that in print and he’s full of it by saying that.”
Bad blood brewing? Before the Titans and Texans faced off, Tennessee offensive lineman Chance Warmack said Watt was “just another guy” and that he wasn’t going to give him more credit than he deserves. As a collective unit, it seems like the Titans O-line is not a fan of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. I’m sure the feeling is mutual.
