Yahoo Lifestyle Report: Ravens S Earl Thomas, DT Brandon Williams have heated argument after Williams didn't play
The Baltimore Ravens’ run defense was gashed by the Cleveland Browns and Nick Chubb on Sunday. Ravens 336-pound defensive tackle Brandon Williams was inactive. There’s a cause and effect there.
New Ravens safety Earl Thomas was reportedly upset that Williams didn’t suit up and play.
Thomas and Williams had a “heated discussion” in the training room after the Browns’ 40-25 win, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo said. Garafolo said the argument had to do with Williams being inactive over a knee issue that came up on Saturday.
Earl Thomas not happy with teammate who was out
Williams was a late add to the injury report. He was included on the injury report Saturday and then was inactive for Sunday’s game. It’s rare to see a player added to the injury report on Saturday and not play on Sunday.
“He has something that flared up on him,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “It wasn’t an injury. It was a thing that caused him a lot of pain and that was what flared up on him.”
Without Williams, a stout nose tackle who was a Pro Bowler last season due to his excellent play against the run, the Ravens gave up 530 yards. Cleveland rushed for 193 yards, with Chubb getting 165. Thomas gave a curious answer to why he pulled up on an 88-yard touchdown run by Chubb in the fourth quarter.
"I tried to get there, couldn’t get there,” Thomas said, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “It wasn’t worth pulling a hamstring. I’ve been there before trying to chase DeAndre Hopkins down on a screen. I pulled a hamstring, and I was out. I wasn’t doing that today"
Thomas has a fiery personality
Garafolo wrote the exchange “didn't get physical because players and staff members quickly interceded.”
Teammates argue, though it’s not often you hear about players fighting over someone missing a game due to a health issue. While Harbaugh was vague, he did say Williams was in a lot of pain.
Thomas comes from a culture in Seattle in which players never were shy about expressing their feelings. He seems to want to bring that to Baltimore too.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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