Following the 49ers’ decisive 20-9 win on Monday Night Football, tempers boiled over between Jauan Jennings & Tre’von Moehrig. The physical melee illustrated the intense rivalry between the two teams. Jennings’s moment of response came when he finally connected with an open-handed RT cross to Moehrig’s face mask. Unfortunately, state Rep.
Until that point in the game, Jennings had held up against any attempts by Moehrig to throw a punch, causing Jennings’ tussle after the final whistle sounded. This incident is just the latest example of Jennings’ penchant for aggressive play, at times well beyond the bounds of sportsmanship. His punishing run blocking style has a history of catching defenders’ attention — and inciting cross-field fireworks.
In the wake of the tragedy, Jennings could have opted for an immediate reciprocal attack. Rather than remain passive, he provided the officials motivation and pressure to punish Moehrig for his conduct. It was then that teammates Krys Barnes and Austin Moss II dove in to separate the two players. Luckily, their swift action stopped it from getting much worse.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan called Moehrig’s hit a “cheap shot.” He said he was proud of Jennings for keeping his head and coming back to the sideline without going overboard. Moehrig recognized that he would be subject to a fine for his actions during the game, something he would “probably” receive. He understood the significance of the fight.
“I was just responding to some childish behavior.” – Jauan Jennings
Moehrig’s punch stemmed from his frustration with Jennings’ aggressive blocking throughout the game. Last season, Jennings got tossed in a comparable scenario against the Arizona Cardinals. He had scored a couple of unnecessary roughness penalties, giving evidence to his establishment of a precedent for the violent.
Dave Canales, the Panthers’ offensive coordinator, said after the game that he wanted to look at the game tape and talk to Moehrig about it directly. Canales’ reply, “I’ll get to the bottom of that,” indicated a pledge to uphold acceptable player behavior.
Defensive back Mike Jackson was pretty candid in his assessment of Jennings. As he announced, “I ain’t got nothing nice to say” about him, further stoking the fire of animosity between the two squads.
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