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Bruce Arians smacked Bucs safety Andrew Adams on his helmet amid scrum for loose ball

Almost everything went right for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their blowout win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

But head coach Bruce Arians was displeased with safety Andrew Adams during a scrum for a loose ball and smacked him the back of his helmet to get his attention.

The incident occurred in the third quarter after a muffed punt by Eagles returner Jalen Reagor. A pile of players from both teams fought for the ball, which the Bucs eventually recovered. During the scrum, Adams attempted to pull some Eagles players away from the pile, which preceded Arians' swipe.

Adams wasn't flagged, but pulling an opponent from a pile during a scrum can draw a penalty. When asked if that was why he swiped at Adams, Arians told The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud, "Yeah, that was it."

That was the extent of the explanation from Arians on Sunday. He may expect to hear more questioning during his Monday news conference, if not from the NFL.

Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Greg Lewis drew a fine earlier this season for shoving Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Harrison during a sideline altercation. Whether Arians is penalized for smacking his own player is yet to be seen.

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 16: Head coach Bruce Arians of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on January 16, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Bruce Arians. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) (Michael Reaves via Getty Images)