"Cheap shot" angers Giants coach Tom Coughlin

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano, left, and New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin exchange words at the end of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won the game 41-34. / AP Photo/Julio Cortez

(CBS/AP) EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Instead of a handshake, Tom Coughlin had choice words for Greg Schiano.

The rookie coach had his team play hard when the Giants tried to end their 41-34 win over Tampa Bay with a traditional kneel-down. Coughlin screamed at the former Rutgers coach as they met on the field, and even turned around and yelled again when Schiano said something back to him. He seemed to mouth the word "bush." (Watch the confrontation here).

The nastiness of the scene was reminiscent of the run-in between San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh and Lions coach Jim Schwartz after a 49ers win in a close game in Detroit last October.

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"I don't think you do that," Coughlin said after the game. "You jeopardize the O-line, you jeopardize the quarterback. Thank goodness we didn't get anybody hurt — that I know of. A couple of linemen were late coming in."

Eli Manning, who threw for 510 yards and three touchdowns, was knocked on his rear end on the play in which the interior of the Bucs' line bull-rushed up the middle.

Manning wasn't hit by a Bucs player, but the momentum of his line being pushed back sent him down.

"It was a little bit of a cheap shot," Manning said. "We're taking a knee in a friendly way and they're firing off. It's a good way to get someone hurt."

Schiano, who spent the past 11 seasons coach at Rutgers, defended the play. He refused to say what Coughlin and he discussed.

"I don't know if that's something not done in the National Football League," Schiano said. "What I do with our football team is we fight until they tell us `game over.' There's nothing dirty about it. There's not illegal about it. We crowd the ball. It's like a sneak defense and we try to knock it loose.

"If people watched Rutgers, they would know that's what we did at the end of the game. We're not going to quit. That's the way I coach and teach our players."

Bucs players said they do what their coach tells them.

"I've been in the NFL for a while and seen a lot of things," Tampa Bay defensive lineman Michael Bennett said. "Whatever the coach asks us to do, that's our job. It's like someone asks you write a story about something you don't want to write about, you still do it. That's what coach believes in. That's how we play the game."

Veteran safety Ronde Barber said Schiano believes in playing until the ref puts his hands over his head and ends the game.

"That's what we're going to do. That's my job," Barber said. "I don't care about their frustration. It's not my job to care about them."

The Giants weren't so forgiving.

"I was on the sideline and I was kind of confused about it," said receiver Victor Cruz, who had 11 catches for 179 yards, including an 80-yard TD. "It was a little bit of a cheap shot. You don't do that. Once I saw the offensive line get upset, I knew what they had done. You don't do that. As professionals, you understand what this game is. You don't take a cheap shot like that. There's a slim chance of a fumble, but it felt more like a cheap shot."

Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck said there is no protocol for that type of play.

"It won't be forgotten," he said.

[FrankTrades]

Good for Coughlin. No if CBS would only report the presidential election fairly.

[ludvig1-2009]

This is not the way the game should come to an end. Too much chance of injury to your starters. Fortunately my numbers system which currently has 12 out of 15 games picked with the correct winner and Atlanta favored by 13.35 points shows Tampa is the worst team in the league. Hopefully they will lose every game this year and the coach will be fired.

[nomostew]

Here's why it's cheap - and dumb. As soon as the quarterback takes a knee, the play is over, and there's no chance of a fumble. He's given himself up, so no touch is necessary. He can do that 100% of the time before you can get to him if both teams are playing hard. So the only way the defensive play has a chance is because they know the offense is going to take it easy, because that's the time-honored custom - for good reason, because the play is simply futile if both teams try hard. So now everybody knows what to do against Schiano, and it will never work. Cheap and dumb.

[john92021]

if the snap is good. How many times has a quarterback jammed a finger and dropped a ball. If you are not ready now that is dumb.

[Mathion]

No flag, no foul. If a bunch of millionaires who are paid to take a hit can't take a hit at a point in the game where taking a hit is part of the game then they should find another game to play - like chess.

[rwsmith29456]

Agreed. If there was no flag and no foul they are a bunch of whiners. And speaking of chess, if I offer a draw to a player and he refuses and checkmates me instead, I don't have a freakin' leg to stand on. It's not over 'til it's over.

[419andlost]

It was a seven point game people, if Tampas' offense was on the field they'd be doing anything they could to score, why not the defense.

[kbbpll]

Sounds like poor coaching, by Coughlin. When you're only ahead 7, you better be prepared. Trying a last-ditch effort to win the game is not a cheap shot. Let us know upfront if you're playing mamby-pamby football, and I'll watch something else.

[lcribas58]

Schiano is just a big jerk of a loser. One of those little weenie college guys who thinks he's hot. Next time Giants should go for it and make it 48-34 and up the humiliation

[john92021]

so when is the game over for you? When your team is ahead, when they make the point spread? I'd rather watch a team run up a score than prevent.

[Scimajor]

The knelling down bit at the end of the game is just pure stupidity.

My son asked me one day what the heck they were doing and I had a tough time explaining why they were not playing until the end of the game. I ended up by saying that the losing team "gave up". That was the easiest way to explain it to a 2 year old child. Still, being a 2 year old he asked why they didn't just walk off the field. I said because they have to "pretend" to play a down. He then gave me the question "Why?". I answered "Yes, you're right. It's silly.".

[brsinai]

Cheap shot and there really is no defense for it.

[EmpireGeorge______--]

why is it a cheap shot ? the Bucs had a last chance to get a fumble during the snap to tie the game, so the game was "still on" so to speak, it wasn't already over, as in most instances, when they take a knee.

[lcribas58]

Of course it is a cheap shot. What the Giants did is called fair play, and there is no need to score again on the losers anyway... never heard hear anyone say running up the clock id bad football. so shut up and shove it

[audemus]

There's no rule in the NFL that says you have to play "nice-nice" on the last play or two.

[EmpireGeorge______--]

Class alone dictates what is appropriate behavior and what isn't......but I feel the only reason this is NOT a cheap shot, is because a fumble in that case, could have tied the game, so the Giants shouldn't have been so cavalier about ending the close game, with still 30 seconds left and only down 7.

[audemus]

Precisely George.