Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Monday that he apologized to Jim Caldwell for his team's play at the end of Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Detroit Lions, and that the decision to play through the victory formation "did not come from the sideline."
"It was not a call. It was not something that we practiced, or that we preach," Fisher said via ESPN.com. "I think it was a byproduct of frustration, some things that Aaron (Donald) endured during the game, and the players took it on themselves to do it."
Rams defensive tackle Dominique Easley dove at the legs of Lions center Travis Swanson when the Lions took their first of two kneel-down snaps in an effort to run the final 1:01 off the clock, and Donald knocked right guard Laken Tomlinson over with a hard rush.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford came up limping after the snap, when Tomlinson appeared to fall on his right ankle, and shoving ensued after both teams took a more-physical-than-usual approach to the second kneel down.
Typically, defenses allow offenses to kneel down in the victory formation when there's not enough time to get the ball back at the end of a game.
Swanson went for X-rays after the game Sunday and had a soft covering and big ice bag on his snapping hand as he left the stadium.
Lions coach Jim Caldwell did not mention Fisher's apology after Sunday's game or in his news conference Monday, and he declined to criticize the Rams for their approach to the final two snaps.
"Guys coach they want to coach, it's their business," Caldwell said. "We do what we do, everybody else does what they do. We don't try to copy anybody. We don't worry about what anybody things or anything of that nature. We just try to do our job."
Fisher, who flew to London with his team after the game, said he planned to address the play with his team.
"I talked to Coach Caldwell after the game and apologized and said I'd get to the bottom of it," Fisher said. "The game's over, the game's over. Pay respect to your opponent. But you guys don't realize all the stuff that goes on inside, up front, between the offensive linemen and the defensive linemen. We'll address it, and it's unlikely to happen again."
Donald, a two-time Pro Bowler, was his usual dominant self Sunday with four tackles, two for loss, and one sack despite regular double-teams.
Caldwell declined to update Swanson's status Monday, and offered no meaningful insight when asked if the way the Rams played the kneel-downs was unnecessarily dangerous.
"That's their business," Caldwell said. "Ask those guys that question."
Stafford had a fiery exchange with Rams defenders after his second kneel-down, and he said Sunday he wasn't happy with the way the game ended.
Caldwell insisted his team "absolutely" was prepared for the Rams' approach to the final two plays, though Los Angeles took the more customary approach of letting Tyrod Taylor kneel without incident at the end of last week's loss to the Buffalo Bills.
"We just coach the way we've always coached and try to be sound in every situation," he said. "Try to expect the unexpected and sometimes things happen where they're unexpected."
