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Trevor Lawrence hit: Texans' DeMeco Ryans defends Azeez Al-Shaair, blames Jaguars for brawl
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- Trevor Lawrence hit: Texans' DeMeco Ryans defends Azeez Al-Shaair, blames Jaguars for brawl
If the Houston Texans wanted Sunday's hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence by linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to be forgotten by the time the two teams play next, good luck with that.
Houston coach DeMeco Ryans ' comments on Monday might have ensured some long memories.
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It was one thing for Ryans to defend his player and team immediately after the game, saying "It's not what we're coaching," and that the play was "not representative of who Azeez is."
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) slides for a down as Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) makes a late hit during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
But Ryans doubled down on those comments during his Monday news conference in Houston, saying the brutal hit by Al-Shaair, who delivered a vicious forearm to Lawrence's head to knock him into the concussion protocol , was partially the fault of NFL quarterbacks, the Jaguars sideline overreacted and Al-Shaair "is a great person and plays the game the right way."
Al-Shaair delivered a nasty forearm blow on Lawrence
Al-Shaair plowed into Lawrence during the second quarter of Houston's 23-20 victory at EverBank Stadium as the Jags' quarterback was well into his slide after a 6-yard gain, clubbing Lawrence on the side of the head with his forearm.
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In the ensuing melee, Al-Shaair was penalized and thrown out of the game and Jaguar players Jarrian Jones and Evan Engram were hit with penalties, and Jones was tossed.
Al-Shaair, who has been involved in other incidents of questionable tactics , also charged the Jaguars' sideline after he was ejected. It required nearly 10 minutes for officials to resume play.
Ryans says quarterbacks 'take advantage' of rule
While expressing his hope that Lawrence would be "okay," Ryans claimed the play "was twofold."
HOW YA FEELING? Trevor Lawrence banged up, 'frustrated, disappointed' in loss
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"A lot of the quarterbacks in this day and age, they try to take advantage of the rule where they slide late and they try to get an extra yard and now you're a defender, and a lot of the onus is on the defender," he said. "You don't know what a guy's thinking. You don't know if a guy is standing up and he's continuing to run, you don't know and then you get a late slide and ... you hit the guy."
There was no video evidence that Lawrence was trying to be deceptive in any way by sliding to give himself up.
Ryans said: "We don't have to overreact just because I think a guy gets hurt," he said. "We're not intentionally trying to hurt anyone. I think there is an overreaction when someone gets hurt but we just have to look at it from all perspectives."
Jaguars 'overreacted'
Ryans then laid the blame for the ensuing brawl squarely on the Jaguars, who were defending their quarterback, as any NFL team likely would.
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"He [Al-Shaair] hits the guy but their sideline overreacts," Ryans said. "It turns into a melee. It wasn't our guys. It's their team [that] overreacted, pushed our guy, dragging our guy to the sideline, so that's uncalled for on that side. We have to be better on the sidelines as well, with both teams."
Despite the hit on Lawrence, a late hit on Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams on the sideline earlier this year, and then punching Bears running back Roschon Johnson (for which Al-Shaair was fined $11,000) and an incident when he grabbed Tom Brady by the throat when Brady played for the Tampa Bay Bucs and Al-Shaair for San Francisco , Ryans said the six-year veteran from Florida Atlantic "is a special player."
"Azeez is a great person, exceptional leader for us," Ryans said. "His intent is never to hurt anyone as he's playing the game. Any picture that's painted that Azeez is a dirty player or doing something intentional, that's the exact opposite of what Azeez is. Yes, he plays it fast, he plays it physical but sometimes that physical nature gets misunderstood in today's game."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence hit: Texans' DeMeco Ryan's blames Jaguars for brawl
