Don’t tell these guys that week 18 doesn’t matter.
San Francisco 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings and Arizona Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting were both ejected for fighting in Sunday’s season finale. It was the second fight in two plays for Jennings, who previously went to bat with cornerback Starling Thomas.
The ejection cost Jennings a chance at a career milestone. He fell 25 yards short in his first 1,000-yard career season after being fouled in the second quarter. The match had little consequence for either team, who had been eliminated from the play-offs before Sunday’s kickoff.
Run block turns into a wrestling match in the end zone
The second fight took place in the end zone during a run play while the Cardinals had a 10-3 lead. Niners quarterback Joshua Dobbs ran 6 yards to put the 49ers ahead on second-and-goal at the Arizona 2-yard line. Jennings blocked Murphy-Bunting which Murphy-Bunting did not appreciate.
As the play ended, Jennings and Murphy-Bunting remained busy in the end zone on the opposite side of the field from the ball. Both fell to the turf and then proceeded to engage in a wrestling match after the whistle blew. One official threw a flag that neither player recognized.
As they continued to struggle in the end zone, two officials did their best to pull the players apart. Ultimately, they succeeded with the help of players from both teams.
The days of Jennings and Murphy-Bunting – and subsequently their respective seasons – were over. Officials issued compensatory personal fouls and ejected both players.
The penalty after the whistle was Jennings’ second in two plays. On the previous piece he worked with Thomas. A physical block from Jennings was also the catalyst for this scuffle.
Jennings drove Thomas to the turf on a 9-yard run by Patrick Taylor Jr., and both continued to wrestle after the game was over.
That scuffle resulted in unsportsmanlike penalties for Jennings and Taylor, but did not result in ejections.
The second fight made for an easy call to eject Jennings. Murphy-Bunting was given no warning when officials tried to bring in the cases.
Ejection stops Jennings within 1,000 yards
For Jennings, the expulsion meant he didn’t reach a milestone in his career. The fourth-year receiver entered Sunday with a career-high 923 yards on 70 receptions. Seven catches for 52 yards on an active day before his disqualification put him at 975 yards for the season.
And there he will end.
He didn’t seem to mind. Jennings left the field with a smile on his face and stopped to cheer up some 49ers fans he found in the stands at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
The Cardinals won 47-24.
