SANTA CLARA, Calif. — In an intense moment just before halftime of the San Francisco 49ers versus New York Giants game, Niners left tackle Trent Williams and Giants defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson engaged in a heated scuffle. Williams appeared to throw a punch at Robinson’s facemask, and in response, Robinson retaliated by striking Williams in the neck area. Both players received unnecessary roughness penalties, leaving the Giants questioning why Williams wasn’t ejected.
After the game, NFL senior vice president of officiating Walt Anderson addressed the incident and explained that his crew reviewed the play and determined that no further action was necessary. Anderson stated that the punch was not deemed flagrant according to the established standards for disqualification.
To assess the severity of a punch, officials consider factors such as whether it was done with a closed fist, an open-hand slap, or a stiff-arm to the face. Anderson noted that a closed-fist punch carries more weight in terms of punishment. However, despite Williams appearing to throw a closed-fist punch, there was no conclusive evidence from the available replays to confirm it.
The altercation occurred with about 13 seconds remaining in the second quarter when the Niners were kneeling to end the half. Tempers flared as Aaron Banks shoved Robinson, leading to the argument between Williams and Robinson.
Williams commented on the incident, stating that it was a result of the intense competition in the game. Robinson, on the other hand, declined to share his side of the story, repeatedly saying, “I don’t know.”
Williams and Robinson have faced each other multiple times in the past when Robinson played for the Los Angeles Rams. Despite the altercation, Williams doesn’t anticipate being fined for the incident, referring to it as a “love tap.”
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan contributed to this report.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
