Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has responded to the backlash over the block Leonard Fournette delivered to Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons
During the second quarter of the Bucs-Cowboys game on Sunday Night Football, Fournette delivered a massive block to Parsons which gave Tom Brady the time to find Julio Jones downfield for a 48-yard completion.
Fournette’s pancake block went viral on the internet. Parsons later took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with the play, which led to Fournette responding with the “Crying Jordan” GIF.
Los Angeles Rams superstar Von Miller also voiced his criticism of the block on Twitter, stating that it “must be taken out the game.”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Bowles defended it and called the block “legal.” Here’s what he had to say on the play, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:
“It was legal. If it wasn’t legal they would have thrown a flag. It was a hard hit and it was legal. As long as it’s in the game and legal, we’ll abide by the rules.”
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Fournette wasn’t penalized nor fined for the block, so the NFL clearly agreed with the veteran running back and Bowles. The Buccaneers would settle for a field goal on the drive en route to an easy 19-3 win.
Parsons’ play against Tampa Bay was one of the few positives for a sluggish Dallas team. He recorded the team’s only two sacks on Tom Brady, who was playing behind a depleted offensive line that lost offensive tackle Donovan Smith for the game to a hyperextended elbow in the second quarter.
It was a rough night all around for Dallas, who also lost Dak Prescott late in the game to a hand injury that required surgery. The Cowboys’ Pro Bowl quarterback will be out of action for several weeks.
Guard Connor McGovern and safety Jayron Kearse also left Sunday’s tilt with injuries, and both will miss several games as well.
Dallas will try to win their first game of 2022 when they host the Cincinnati Bengals in the late afternoon. The Buccaneers will pay a visit to New Orleans to take on the Saints.
