Despite being up 35-3 at halftime, Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore was angry and ready to fight as he walked off the field.
While Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel calmed Barmore down, the defensive tackle was still angry at New York Giants offensive tackle Armand Membou following Sunday’s blowout win.
At the end of the first half, Barmore fell on the MetLife Stadium turf when the play was about to be over. That’s when Membou, who’s 6-foot-4, 332 pounds, jumped on Barmore.
After the game, Barmore explained the altercation.
“I respect this game. I respect every player, whoever I play again. I never do dirty stuff like that. I don’t care if you’re getting your ass whooped like that. Play better,” Barmore said. “That’s some dirty (expletive) right there. I told him to meet me at the locker room. I said, if not the locker room, come see me on the field. I’m saying, go tell him and go get him. I’m ready. Where’s your locker room at? Tell me where your locker room at?”
“You all need to see the tape, what that o-lineman did, No. 70. You should all see what he did,” Barmore said. “The play was already over, blown whistle, I’m about to get up, no 70, I don’t know his name, he literally dove on my back. Like, he put his whole body weight (on me) doing some dirty stuff. So I got up and was about to (fight), and my coach came out and calmed me down.”
Cameras captured Vrabel trying to talk to Barmore. The coach had his left arm around the defensive tackle when Barmore ripped away from Vrabel.
“I was just reminding everybody to keep their composure,” Vrabel said after the game.
Barmore noted that he respects his coach and appreciates Vrabel for not only having his back but also calming him down.
“Coach Vrabes talked to me, told me he had seen it, and he was telling me we were going to do anything to hurt the team,” Barmore said. “I said, ‘You’re right. I’m not going to hurt the team,’ so I moved on from it. I appreciate him a lot. He’s been in the trenches. He’s been in the game. He understands it. The words he said made me relaxed, so I cooled down.”
The Patriots (13-3) can clinch the AFC East with a win in Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins or a Buffalo Bills loss either today against the Philadelphia Eagles or in Week 18 vs Jets.
