Video Reveals Why Noah Fant Threw Ball at Raiders Coach
As the second quarter of the Denver Broncos' Week 17 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders drew to a close, quarterback Drew Lock hit tight end Noah Fant for a nine-yard gain. Fant was pushed out of bounds, which sent him careening into the Raiders' sideline.
Instead of throwing out arms to help slow Fant down, a Raiders coach Jim O’Neil opted to 'shoulder-check' Fant, which immediately triggered a retaliation on the part of the player. Fant threw the ball at the Raiders coach and could be seen jawing with him and head coach Jon Gruden as he returned to his huddle.
Here's how it unfolded.
The Broncos would go on to lose to the Raiders, 32-31, being swept by their AFC West Division foe for the first time in many, many years. After the game, at least one Bronco chimed in to castigate that Raiders coach for his unsportsmanlike conduct.
"This had me hot watching on TV... He backin' up already but decides to lean in on Noah. Miss me with that BS. Let me come to that sideline full speed at that coach," Broncos nose tackle Mike Purcell tweeted.
The behavior of O'Neil was obviously missed by the officials on-field but it wouldn't be surprising to see him receive discipline from the NFL. Was it the most egregious thing ever? Definitely not.
Was it ethically acceptable? Absolutely not. Let's face it, it was a very 'Raider' thing to do.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
