Steelers guard Mason McCormick explains his WWE-style takedown of Jared Verse during Pittsburgh’s 27-6 win over the Browns.
Pittsburgh Steelers guard Mason McCormick has offered his side of the heated exchange with Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse, explaining why he took the pass rusher to the ground during an extra-point attempt in Sunday’s 27-6 victory.
The incident happened in the first quarter after Rico Dowdle scored a nine-yard touchdown. As Chris Boswell lined up for the extra point, Verse jumped to try to block the kick. McCormick reacted by throwing the defender to the turf, resulting in a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty.
Speaking after the game, McCormick insisted that he was not targeting Verse and was simply following his assignment.
“I really had no idea who it was. Just felt somebody jump. I was told to get the jumper’s hands down,” McCormick explained in a video shared by Brendan Howe of Steelers Now.
However, the play added another chapter to an increasingly heated rivalry between the two players. They previously clashed during Pittsburgh’s Week 4 matchup, when Verse took a swing at McCormick following a missed field goal. That incident went unpenalized.
Verse had also criticized the Steelers’ offensive line after that game, accusing them of playing dirty and expressing his eagerness to face them again.
Following Sunday’s rematch, the Browns defender remained unhappy with how McCormick handled the situation.
“I jumped in the air, tried to block the kick. He swept my legs in the air, ended up landing on my head. That’s football,” Verse said in a postgame interview with Browns reporter Ashley Bastock of Cleveland.com.
Verse also stood by his criticism of McCormick’s playing style, suggesting their feud is far from over despite Pittsburgh’s convincing win.
Pittsburgh Steelers guard Mason McCormick has offered his side of the heated exchange with Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse, explaining why he took the pass rusher to the ground during an extra-point attempt in Sunday’s 27-6 victory. The incident happened in the first quarter after Rico Dowdle scored a nine-yard touchdown.
