Analysis: Spats, shoves, snubs and snapbacks have ruled the NFL sidelines in 2024

Some of the NFL's biggest moments of late have come not on the field but the sideline.

Spats. Shoves. Snubs. Snapbacks.

It started with Aaron Rodgers refusing a bro hug from Robert Saleh after a touchdown in September before things went sour at the the New York Jets training center.

Two instigators who raised eyebrows in Week 6 quickly backtracked with Maxx Crosby denying his two-handed shove to the chest of an assistant Raiders coach was out of malice and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni apologizing for taunting his own fanbase at the Linc following a narrow win over the Browns.

Jerry Jones had a very unhappy 82nd birthday watching his Cowboys' fourth straight home loss, a 47-9 thrashing from the Detroit Lions. But Jones said after the worst home loss since he bought the team in 1989 that he's not considering dumping coach Mike McCarthy like Woody Johnson canned Saleh five days earlier.

Dallas' home skid includes lopsided losses to the Packers in the playoffs and the Saints this season along with a 28-25 loss to the Ravens after falling behind 28-6.

So, Saleh's stunningly early pink slip heading into Week 6 with the Jets just one game out of first place in the AFC East didn't lead to any copycats like so many other things in NFL do — at least not right away.

Rodgers and Saleh made light of their awkward moment in the aftermath of their rout of the Patriots, but the laugh track ended following two subsequent ugly offensive performances in back-to-back losses and Saleh was shown the exit as he was preparing the Jets for their showdown against the Bills on Monday night.

Rodgers insisted he played no role in Saleh's firing, which came as Saleh was reportedly considering stripping Nathaniel Hackett of his offensive play-calling duties, something Jeff Ulbrich did in his first major move as interim head coach on Thursday.

Ulbrich replaced Hackett with Todd Downing, the Jets’ passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Hackett — who is close to Rodgers from their time together in Green Bay — chose to remain with the team and retained his offensive coordinator title.

Rodgers, who nearly had his first 300-yard passing game since 2021 in New York's 23-20 loss to Buffalo on Monday night that dropped them to 2-4, said during the week that he takes a lot of the blame for the team's struggles and feels some responsibility for the changes because he hasn’t played up to his standard.

Rodgers, by the way, levied some serious criticism at the officials Monday night for throwing 22 combined flags for 204 penalty yards: “It seemed a little ridiculous. Some of them seemed really bad. Including the roughing passer on me. That’s not roughing the passer.”

Sirianni apologized Monday for gesturing and jawing at fans in the final moments of a win during which restless fans booed a listless performance and “Fire Nick!” chants permeated pockets at Lincoln Financial Field. After the team's fourth win in its last dozen tries, Sirianni defended his antics, saying he was simply “excited” to get a victory. He added the Eagles “don’t necessarily like it” when fans boo at home games.

Sirianni struck a conciliatory tone for his behavior a day later after his boorish behavior was ripped by fans and media.

“I was trying to bring energy yesterday. Energy, enthusiasm,” Sirianni said Monday. “I’m sorry and disappointed at how my energy was directed at the end of the game. My energy should be all in on coaching, motivating and celebrating with our guys.”

The Raiders have been the among the league leaders in drama this season with Devante Adams' trade request, a quarterback shuffling and now their superstar Crosby shoving Mike Caldwell, the Raiders' run game coordinator and linebackers coach, during the Raiders' 32-13 loss to the Steelers.

Crosby called it a “love push” in a post on X, and also addressed the situation at his locker with reporters after the game, saying, "Mike Caldwell is a great dude. We have a great relationship, and we do that all the time. ... That's how we play football. We're grown men. We're alpha males. We don't greet each other the same.

“So ... like he was just hyping me up and I hyped him up like, 'Let's go!' We're down, but it just showed that we're not quitting. And so that was literally all it was,” Crosby added. "... The camera, they made it look bad. It looked like I was throwing him out the club but that was not what happened at all.”

A week earlier, the Raiders lost in Denver, where Bo Nix clapped back at coach Sean Payton, who laid into his rookie quarterback as he retreated to the sideline following an off-script incompletion in the end zone.

Payton called his passionate reaction “my love language," and added that Nix still has “some Ferris Bueller in him," a babyboomer jab that made a lot more sense Sunday when the Broncos offense took much of the day off in their loss to the Chargers, falling behind 23-0 in the fourth quarter. At halftime. Nix had just three completions for 22 yards, plus an interception that safety Elijah Molden returned 25 yards.

With contributions from AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr., and AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in East Rutherford, N.J., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers walks on the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in East Rutherford, N.J., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones stands on the field during warmups before an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, left, and quarterback Dak Prescott (4) watch play against the Detroit Lions in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) points during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni speaks during a news conference with son Miles after an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

NEW YORK (AP) — On their first big night in New York this October, the Cleveland Guardians took a walk on the wild side.

Rookie reliever Joey Cantillo threw four wild pitches, two that allowed pivotal runs to score in the third inning, and the Guardians lost 5-2 to the New York Yankees in their American League Championship Series opener Monday.

“Joey has done a good job for us coming out of the bullpen, and that inning just kind of got away from us, and that was it,” manager Stephen Vogt said.

“He looked a little sped up at first, but then it just looked like he was having a hard time finding the strike zone. We’ve seen Joey the last month, month and a half been great, so it was very uncharacteristic of him.”

Cleveland walked seven batters and threw five wild pitches in all — equaling a postseason record.

“I wasn’t very sharp. Obviously, fell behind on guys,” Cantillo said. “I didn’t execute pitches, and the control obviously was not there. Just got to be better next time. That performance was obviously the difference in the game. So, that’s on me.”

Cleveland trailed 1-0 when Cantillo replaced ailing starter Alex Cobb, who walked three batters to load the bases with two outs in the third.

The left-hander fell behind in the count 2-0 on Anthony Rizzo and then bounced a 92 mph fastball that got away from catcher Bo Naylor, allowing Aaron Judge to score from third.

Cantillo also bounced a 1-2 heater to No. 9 batter Alex Verdugo that went to the backstop, letting Giancarlo Stanton score easily.

Two wild pitches in a span of six deliveries, and suddenly it was 3-0.

“I kind of talked to him a little bit afterward. I feel responsible for him having to even be in that position in the first place," Cobb said. "He's got a really good future ahead of him. Going in to bases loaded, Yankee Stadium, in a playoff game is probably not ideal for anybody. ... So you know, I feel for him there. But he’s going to be fine. He’s going to be a big piece for us going forward.”

Cantillo struck out Verdugo to end the inning, but then walked Gleyber Torres leading off the fourth and uncorked a pair of wild pitches that sent him all the way to third base.

“A few of ’em were heaters. At this level, with heaters of that velocity, ultimately you just try to get a glove on it and see if you can get it,” Naylor said. “I think there was a changeup that got away from me. I think it just kind of stayed down, got through my legs.”

After a full-count walk to Juan Soto, Cantillo was lifted for Pedro Avila. Torres scored on Judge's sacrifice fly to make it 4-0, and the Guardians never recovered in their first ALCS game since 2016.

In just his second outing since Sept. 27, the 24-year-old Cantillo walked three of the four batters he faced and threw only seven of 21 pitches for strikes.

He was asked if nerves were a factor at all.

“No, not necessarily,” said Cantillo, who grew up in Hawaii. “I fell behind and didn't make my pitches, and then one thing led to another.”

Cantillo's four wild pitches set a franchise record for a reliever and tied the team mark for any pitcher in a postseason or regular-season game. The previous Cleveland pitcher to throw four wild pitches in a game was Jake Westbrook at the Chicago White Sox on April 5, 2010.

Andrew Walters threw another wild pitch in the eighth, though that one didn't end up costing the Guardians.

The only other team to throw five wild pitches in one postseason game was the St. Louis Cardinals — and they were all by rookie starter Rick Ankiel as he struggled with the yips early in a 2000 NL Division Series opener against Atlanta.

Ankiel later gave up pitching and became a lefty-hitting outfielder.

“Joey's not a guy I really worry about in terms of confidence or getting his mind back to a right spot,” Naylor said. "He wants those moments, whether he comes out on the good end or the bad end. He always looks for new ways to get better.

“You just kind of pick him up, let him know that this team is behind him at all times. Just let him take care of the rest. He's got a strong head on his shoulders, and a guy that I'm very happy to have on my side.”

When reporters entered Cleveland's quiet clubhouse after the game, Cantillo was sitting on a chair facing deep into locker. But he soon stood up tall and answered a string of questions confidently.

“He's very mature. He’s accountable. He’s a really hard worker," Cobb said. “Everything you look for in someone who’s going to have a really long career.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez reacts after grounding out against the New York Yankees during the eighth inning in Game 1 of the baseball AL Championship Series Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo Vásquez)

Cleveland Guardians players watch from the dugout during the ninth inning in Game 1 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo Vásquez)

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Joey Cantillo throws against the New York Yankees during the third inning in Game 1 of the baseball AL Championship Series Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Joey Cantillo throws against the New York Yankees during the third inning in Game 1 of the baseball AL Championship Series Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo Vásquez)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge scores on a wild pitch by Cleveland Guardians pitcher Joey Cantillo during the third inning in Game 1 of the baseball AL Championship Series Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Joey Cantillo, right, talks with catcher Bo Naylor during the third inning in Game 1 of the baseball AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo Vásquez)

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Joey Cantillo adjusts his cap after walking New York Yankees' Gleyber Torres during the fourth inning in Game 1 of the baseball AL Championship Series Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Godofredo Vásquez)