Coughlin angry at Schiano for having Bucs hit Manning on kneel down
Giants coach Tom Coughlin yelled at first-year Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano after the Giants' 41-34 victory on Sunday because he didn't like that Schiano told his players to knock Giants quarterback Eli Manning down when Manning was taking a knee to run out the final seconds, ESPNNewYork.com reported.
"I don't think you do that," Coughlin said after the game, according to the report. "You don't do that. You don't jeopardize the offensive line, you (don't) jeopardize the quarterback. Thank goodness we didn't get anybody hurt, that I know of, a couple of linemen were late coming in (after end of game)."
After Manning took a snap on the game's final play with the Giants lined up in their victory formation, Tampa Bay forced Manning back and knocked him down.
"That was a first," Manning said. "Obviously I think it is a little bit of a cheap shot."
Despite what Couglin told him after the game, Schiano was not apologetic, saying he'd do it again.
"I don't know if that's not something that's not done in the National Football League, but what I do with our football team is we fight until they tell us game over," Schiano said. "There's nothing dirty about it and there's nothing illegal about it.
"We crowd the ball -- it's like a sneak defense and you try to knock it loose.
"We're not going to quit, that's just the way I coach and teach our players. Some people were upset about it -- that's the way it goes. I don't have any hesitation. That's the way we play -- clean, hard football until they tell us the game's over."
That response may not sit well with the Giants.
"It's nothing I've ever seen," Giants offensive lineman Sean Locklear said. "I think it's a dirty play."
