The 2015 NFL regular season has not turned out how the Dallas Cowboys wanted it to turn out at all. On Sunday, the Cowboys lost their seventh straight game as the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated them, but that wasn’t the worst thing to happen. It appears now as if tensions are rising among the team itself as defensive linemen Greg Hardy and Demarcus Lawrence got into it on the sideline and had to be separated.
Bleacher Report stated that, during the game, Hardy got into the face of his teammate and fellow lineman, Lawrence. It didn’t seem to get too serious, but it got to the point where they actually needed to be separated.
Even though it may not have been too serious, things did get heated.
According to @KristiCowboy — Demarcus Lawrence and Greg Hardy were nose-to-nose on the sideline; had to be separated #Cowboys
— Troy Hughes™ (@TommySledge) November 15, 2015
It is said though that Hardy and Lawrence quickly patched things up right before halftime and left the field together at Raymond James Stadium.
According to the Dallas News , Cowboys defensive end Jeremy Mincey later said after the game that there was no issue between his teammates.
Yes, this may not have been as big of a deal as some are making it out to be, but it’s yet another problem with Greg Hardy. He already wasn’t around for the first four games of the season, and then there are the constant off-the-field issues, and this isn’t the first time he’s had a sideline problem during a game.
During Week 7’s loss to the New York Giants, Hardy had an altercation, of sorts, with Cowboys special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia. Hardy is a very good football talent and an asset to any team as a player, but his liability as a personality is making this season even worse for Dallas.
The huge losing streak, Greg Hardy, and countless injuries are just a few of the problems for the Dallas Cowboys this season.
Earlier this week, wide receiver Dez Bryant was at the center of a lot of controversy after he blew up on reporters for an open media day with the team. Not only was Bryant yelling at reporters and cursing them out, but he and one particular media member actually had to be separated.
All of this just keeps adding to the frustration of the bad season and sitting at 2-7 with the playoffs virtually out of sight. The hope is there that quarterback Tony Romo will be able to return to the team next week for the first time since breaking his left clavicle in in Week 2.
Today’s incident may have been resolved quickly for the Dallas Cowboys, but it just keeps adding more fuel to the fire.
Greg Hardy has been productive for the Cowboys in his five games played with the team so far, but his distractions may end up proving to be too much. So far this season, he has racked up four sacks, one interception, and 15 total tackles.
Good numbers, but maybe not worth the longtime damage he could do to the Cowboys’ locker room.
The images of Greg Hardy’s ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder’s bruises from him don’t make matters easier either. Deadspin brought forth the pics a couple of weeks ago, and Hardy said that Holder had fallen in a bathtub. The charges of assault against Hardy were dropped after Holder disappeared and no-showed the trial.
Greg Hardy and Demarcus Lawrence may have exchanged words and come close to a physical altercation, but it was rectified quickly. The Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and seventh straight loss is not something that can be fixed so easily and it only adds to the pile of problems this season.
[Image via Getty Images – Elsa]