METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore was the only one who got flagged for the scuffles between him and Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf on Monday night.
But after reviewing the tape, the NFL admonished both Pro Bowlers with fines. Lattimore was fined $10,815 and Metcalf $6,949 for unsportsmanlike conduct, sources told ESPN, confirming multiple reports.
Lattimore was twice penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness during the Saints’ 13-10 victory after he shoved and swung at Metcalf. But replays showed that Metcalf shoved him first at the tail end of a run play on the first one, then grabbed Lattimore’s facemask before the second one.
The two were shoving, grabbing at face masks and jawing at each other throughout the night while Lattimore shadowed Metcalf on most plays. Metcalf caught an 84-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter that could have potentially been deemed offensive pass interference (the two were both making a lot of contact with each other before Lattimore fell to the ground). Metcalf was held to just one more catch for 12 yards the rest of the night.
Saints coach Sean Payton said after Monday night’s game that he was concerned about the possibility of tensions boiling over.
“You don’t want to bring 140 people from Seattle to New Orleans and lose because it gets away from you,” Payton said.
However, Payton said later in the week that he likes the competitive edge that Lattimore plays with. “I think he’s extremely competitive,” Payton said. “I didn’t think it was … I think when you watch the whole game, I said this [the day after the game], and I gotta be careful in how I word this. I didn’t agree with all the calls that were made in that game. I did not think it was officiated well. …
“But, yeah, there’s an edge to how he plays. And I think that’s what makes him one of the better corners in this league.”
Seahawks teammates, meanwhile, commended Metcalf for staying “really poised” during the testy matchup.
“It takes an incredibly strong mind to get that done, because those DBs are professional s— talkers,” Seattle tight end Will Dissly said.
When asked why Metcalf seems to be a magnet for such confrontations, quarterback Geno Smith added, “He plays hard. He’s going out there to impose his will, and you expect those guys to … take shots at him.”
Meanwhile, the Saints also placed Pro Bowl left guard Andrus Peat on injured reserve Saturday with the pectoral injury he suffered in Monday’s win. It’s unclear if Peat has a chance to return this season, but he will likely miss substantial time with the injury.
The good news is that the Saints offensive line is now intact at every other position after left tackle Terron Armstead and center Erik McCoy returned from injuries last week. The Saints have experienced replacement options for Peat in veteran James Hurst and second-year pro Calvin Throckmorton.
Peat has started 78 games for the Saints, mostly at left guard, since being drafted in the first round in 2015, with three Pro Bowl selections from 2018-2020 (two as an alternate).
ESPN’s Brady Henderson contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com