The Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 largely because of their dominant defense, but cornerback Aqib Talib didn’t help his team at all in the first half with three penalties, including two of the unsportsmanlike-conduct variety.
The one that stands out the most is Talib’s facemask on Corey Brown during a Panthers’ drive that led to their only touchdown of the game. Talib brutally grabbed and spun Brown’s head around, tossing him to the ground, but because of the Panthers’ position on the field, the penalty only cost Denver about a yard and a half.
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Talib knew this all too well and basically admitted to getting the penalty on purpose after the game, saying:
“It was all good, It was B.S. flags. One was on our sidelines — the guy was talking on our sideline. One I just did on purpose, and I just had to show him. It’s probably going to be a fine, but hey, we’re world champs.”
“My teammates knew what it was. He was on the 3-yard line. (With) a personal foul, he was on the 1 1/2-yard line, so it is what it is.”
Talib certainly doesn’t sound like he regrets his decision to put Brown’s health at risk, but the NFL might change his mind on that. According to Pro Football Talk, the league is considering suspending Talib for the incident.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL will consider suspending Talib for his admittedly intentional and blatant decision to grab, twist, yank, and pull Brown’s facemask under circumstances that resulted in a small impact on field position, since Brown was inside the Denver five yard line.
The league office will examine Talib’s conduct within the confines of the normal course of post-game evaluations. Talib’s history will be a factor, along with his comments reflecting clear intent to violate an important safety rule.
That history that they are speaking about includes this blatant eye-gouge from Talib in a Denver game against the Colts during the 2015 season that cost him one game, as well as a whole list of incidents involving Talib that date as far back as his rookie season in 2008.
(Via Pro Football Talk)
