Fournette’s Block Draws Ire Of Star LBs

Last night against the Dallas Cowboys, Bucs running back Leonard Fournette ran rampant on their defense for 127 yards on 21 carries in the 19-3 win. It was not his great performance that ended up circulating on Twitter, however. His block on Cowboys OLB Micah Parsons in the second quarter while in pass protection did not make Parsons happy and he let Fournette know after the game.

Bucs RB Leonard Fournette – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The clip Parsons refers to was posted by Pro Football Focus (PFF) during the game and PFF used pancake emojis to demonstrate Fournette pushing Parsons to the ground. On the play, quarterback Tom Brady aired it out to wide receiver Julio Jones for a 48-yard completion.

Parsons thought it was a “weak” chip block and in the play he was not looking at Fournette while attempting to get to the quarterback. Parsons did not want PFF to hype it up. Here was his post.

Right after this tweet, Parsons followed it up by saying “there is legit nothing to be mad about… Crack blocks happens!!”

It might have been Parsons reacting harshly after suffering a brutal defeat in which the team’s starting quarterback Dak Prescott got injured and will be out for several weeks. Regardless, Parsons was not a fan of “SNF Lenny” last night as he had his way with the Cowboys’ defense both as a runner and blocker.

Von Miller Gets In The Mix

Another star outside linebacker, Von Miller of the Buffalo Bills, commented on the play as well.

Miller was critical of Fournette’s block, saying that it must be taken out the game. Miller also stated that “you can get the job done without this much contact.” This is an interesting topic to consider, as in the past few years edge rushers like Parsons and Miller have seen their contracts rise exponentially. Now, some of the highest paid players on teams play that position, and Miller himself got 6 years, $120 million from the Buffalo Bills this offseason.

Fournette Responds

Fournette does not seem concerned with any beef whatsoever, providing a classic GIF response to Parson’s original tweet this afternoon.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Todd Bowles was asked about the play on Monday and did not have any issues with it.

“It was legal,” Bowles said. “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.”

In the end, the Buccaneers came out on top with a win and this play originally received credit for being a great block on a dominant player. While edge rushers alike surely don’t want plays like this to happen, it’s football, and a big back like Fournette demonstrated he will do whatever it takes to protect his quarterback in-game and casually react to criticism later.