Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Week 12's NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders not only featured a mid-game skirmish, cameras also caught defensive tackle Trysten Hill punching guard John Simpson after the final whistle.
The sequence occurred when Cowboys and Raiders players met on the field for post-game handshakes Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Raiders beat the Cowboys 36-33 in overtime.
Simpson was looking to his left toward coaches and players before he turned right. Hill then stood in front of the 6-foot-4, 321-pound guard and delivered a right-handed punch to his face, knocking his helmet off his head.
Simpson attempted to get back to the 6-foot-3, 308-pound Cowboys defender, but was held back by players and coaches from both teams. The altercation did not result in a large-scale melee.
Related
But a larger scuffle occurred in the third quarter of the Thanksgiving matchup. That sequence started with a punt from the Raiders' A.J. Cole about two minutes into the second half. The punt went out of bounds on the right sideline.
Cowboys cornerback Kelvin Joseph and Raiders safety Roderic Teamer shoved each other out of bounds, which drew their teammates into the area near the Raiders bench. Players from both teams continued to shove each other until they were separated by referees, teammates and coaches and the game resumed.
A TV camera caught referee Tom Hill with blood on his chin after the sequence. Joseph and Teamer were ejected for their roles in the melee.
Neither Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy nor Raiders coach Rich Bisaccia addressed the situations in their postgame news conferences.
Hill, 23, joined the Cowboys out of Central Florida as a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Simpson, 24, joined the Raiders out of Clemson as a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Simpson started every game this season for the Raiders, while Hill is a backup defensive lineman. Hill will likely receive a fine or suspension this week from the NFL.
The Cowboys, who lead the NFL in penalties, totaled a franchise-record 166 penalty yards on 14 infractions in the loss.
The Raiders (6-5) host the Washington Football Team (4-6) at 4:05 p.m. EST Dec. 5 at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev. The Cowboys (7-4) battle the New Orleans Saints (5-6) at 8:20 p.m. EST Dec. 2 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
