NFL reportedly investigating Bruce Arians' presence on sidelines during Tom Brady's altercation with Marshon Lattimore
During Sunday's 20-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints, Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers were involved in a huge brawl with the hosts. The incident saw Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore ejected from the game.
The NFL is reportedly investigating Tampa Bay Buccaneers senior consultant (and former head coach) Bruce Arians for his part in the incident.
Per source, the NFL is working on addressing all things related to the Bucs-Saints brawl on Sunday, including the involvement of "retired" Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians from the sideline.
Also, Arians wasn't just passively hanging around. On at least one occasion, he was chirping to the officials. And he definitely wasn't a peacemaker -- and may have been an instigator -- for the Evans/Lattimore incident.
Arians could be seen chirping back-and-forth with Lattimore during the incident, right before the altercation turned physical. Lattimore and Brady started shouting at each other before Mike Evans came in and shoved the Saints cornerback to the ground.
Arians was present on the sidelines for Sunday's game, and it's unclear whether or not the league has the power to order him off the touchline for future games.
Arians stepped down as the team's head coach this offseason and joined the front office in a much smaller role.
Evans and Lattimore were ejected from the game for the incident. As of now, Evans has been given a one-match ban, while Lattimore is yet to receive any punishment.
The two will face each other again in December in the second of their two divisional matchups this season. Tampa Bay will host the Saints next time around.
Recapping Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 20-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints
The brawl woke the Tampa Bay Buccaneers up. The score was tied at 3-3 late into the fourth quarter, but the brawl changed the game. It seemed to hurt the Saints the most, as without Lattimore on the field they were a much weaker side.
On the very next play, Brady hit wide receiver Breshad Perriman on a 28-yard touchdown reception. This gave Tampa a 10-3 lead.
It took until the 4th quarter to cash the 1st TD scorer bets in #TBvsNO
Breshad Perriman (+1400) ✅
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Tampa's defense gave up a score, but Jameis Winston went on to throw three interceptions in the quarter, including a pick-six. Tampa Bay closed the game out 20-10, and improved to 2-0 for the season.
Tom Brady and Tampa Bay will now shift their focus to their game against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Florida. This is as tough a game as any on their schedule, only compounded by Mike Evans' suspension.
The Saints will travel to Charlotte to take on another division rival in the Carolina Panthers. This is a game that they are expected to win, but in the NFL, anything can happen.