NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee tight end Bo Scaife called James Harrison's shot on his left leg a "cheap shot" in the locker room after the game. Titans coach Jeff Fisher doesn't agree.
Scaife missed the rest of the Titans' 13-10 overtime loss to Pittsburgh after being hit by Harrison on the opening drive of the third quarter. He was limping badly in the locker room and told The Tennessean newspaper he thought Harrison dived at his knee.
"I have been playing my whole life and no one has ever hit me like that. So I know when it is real and when it is not real. So it was a cheap shot and I don't care if that gets back to him either," Scaife said.
Scaife fumbled on the hit, losing the ball in Pittsburgh territory. He had five catches for 48 yards that finished second on the team Thursday night.
Fisher was asked Friday if he agreed with Scaife's assessment. The coach's answer was short: No.
"When the ball carrier's got the ball, he's a runner. The defender ... can tackle him anyway he wants. I think the defender was driving, was already low. It was just a strange set of circumstances. If Bo catches the ball and turns up the sideline, he's tackled low, gets up and we've got a first down," Fisher said.
"Bo tried to make the catch and come back underneath him to keep things alive, trying to run after catch and got his leg planted."
Scaife had an MRI on his knee Friday. Fisher said the tight end has some swelling but will be day-to-day. The Titans host the Houston Texans on Sept. 20 in their home opener.
The tight end has a reason to worry about his knees. He had to overcome an ACL injury in high school in 1999, and two in college at Texas in 2000 and 2002 before the Titans drafted him in the sixth round in 2005. He led Tennessee in receptions with 58 last season, earning a franchise tag that has him playing 2009 on a one-year tender for $4.46 million.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press