The Washington Football Team got off to a disastrous start in its 56-14 loss to the archrival Dallas Cowboys and tempers boiled over on its sideline.
Washington teammates Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne got into a skirmish on the bench in an incident captured by the Sunday Night Football broadcast. With Washington trailing Dallas, 28-7, Payne could be seen shoving his finger into Allen's head and Allen responded by throwing a right hand.
Following the game, Washington head coach Ron Rivera said he didn't see the fracas, but had spoken to both players and there would be no punishment handed out.
"I've talked with them and as far as I'm concerned, that's where it's gonna stay," Rivera said.
Payne explained the altercation as "brothers" fighting and said the two were on good terms.
"It's all good," Payne answered when asked if the two were OK now. "You got brothers? You all fight don't you? S--- happens."
When asked what the reason was behind the incident, Allen did not go into detail but indicated it was a byproduct of Washington being on the wrong end of a blowout amid what is now a three-game losing streak.
"I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to, you know. If you look at how that game went, I mean, emotions are high, things are high, things happen," Allen said.
Payne and Allen have been teammates for four seasons in Washington and previously played together at Alabama.
Payne, who was sitting next to Allen and appeared to be talking to him, stood up and pointed his index finger into the side of Allen's head. Allen swept away Payne's finger, sprung up and threw a right cross. The two were then separated by teammates and defensive line coach Sam Mills III.
They later returned to the field and played side by side on the Washington defensive line.
Allen, a Pro Bowl selection at defensive tackle, was a 2017 first-round pick by Washington and Payne was a 2018 opening-round selection.
