The Steelers won against the Green Bay Packers in exciting fashion last Sunday, S Damontae Kazee picking off QB Jordan Love in the end zone to clinch the 23-19 victory. However, things got interesting after Kazee decided to take the ball out of the end zone, running up the Steelers’ sideline. Kazee ended up getting shoved out of bounds by OT Zach Tom, going right into ST coordinator Danny Smith, who went straight to the ground once Kazee made contact with him.
A scrum ensued between Pittsburgh and several of Green Bay’s players on the sideline as Smith ended up getting peeled off the ground by TE Rodney Williams and whisked away to safety. LS Christian Kuntz was asked about the play by DL Cameron Heyward on Not Just Football With Cam Heyward.
“I was getting the hell out of the way,” Kuntz said on Not Just Football, which aired on NFL on ESPN’s YouTube channel. “He was in front of me, and I don’t know, dude. When he hit the ground, he did a full 360 spin cycle. Like he got thrown like a rag doll. He’s alright. He said his shoulder’s a little messed up, but that is scary.”
It was scary to see Smith, 70, get decked along the sideline the way he did, hitting the ground hard on his shoulder while turning over as he slid close to the bench. You see him attempt to pick himself off the ground while the rest of the players start making their way to the action with S Minkah Fitzpatrick coming over to congratulate Kazee on the interception and LG Isaac Seumalo putting his helmet on like he was gearing up for a brawl.
It’s easy to see why Smith’s shoulder may not be feeling well after taking a vicious hit like that, although Kuntz didn’t seem too worried about his long-term health, stating that his coach is alright. Williams said that Smith didn’t say much after the incident, mainly that the special teams coordinator kept chewing his gum like he iconically does on the sideline for every game.
Should have Kuntz stepped in front of Smith to prevent the elderly gentleman from getting decked and potentially severely hurt? Sure, but ultimately, Smith walked away unscathed as Pittsburgh secured another win to move to 6-3 on the season. Plus, Smith is a Yinzer by blood, having been born and raised in Pittsburgh, thus having that ingrained toughness to shrug off the collision, knowing that his team secured another victory.
