Hardly any player is so heavily criticized as Eli Apple.
The Cincinnati Bengals cornerback has been causing a stir since his 2016 draft. So far, he has not been able to really convince with his performance or his behavior. (SERVICE: NFL knowledge – the most important terms in football)
His appearance in the last Super Bowl is particularly memorable. Finally, he allowed two touchdowns against wide receiver Cooper Kupp from the Los Angeles Rams. (SERVICE: NFL knowledge – the positions in football)
Apple leathers against Bills stars Allen and Diggs
Now he’s causing a sensation again with his notorious trash talk on Twitter. He used a post by Buffalo Bills star receiver Stefon Diggs to make fun of him.
When Diggs said, “It’s easy to criticize my reaction more than the result,” he countered, “Cancun to three.” With that, he said goodbye to the Bills on vacation after the 10:27 defeat against his team. (DATA: NFL Results and Schedule)
The 27-year-old even upped the ante by sharing the video of Diggs complaining to Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen. “Someone has to put her in couples therapy. I’ll pay,” he commented on Twitter.
A little later he also put on with Bills defender Shaq Lawson. He saw the heart-hands emoji that Apple used as an affront to Damar Hamlin, who is on the mend after a serious accident.
But that only wrested a tired smile from the Bengals pass defender. “It’s a shame you couldn’t keep that energy on the field, then maybe the result would have been different. Have fun in Mexico with the homies,” he countered. (NEWS: All current information about the NFL)
Teammate calls Apple a ‘cancer’
While the 10th pick of the 2016 NFL Draft wasn’t the only Bengals player to take a dig at the losing team, it fits into the picture of his career to date.
He even fell out with his own teammates on his first team, the New York Giants. The argument went so far that Landon Collins even called it a “cancer”.
So it’s not surprising that after two and a half years, those responsible trade him to the New Orleans Saints. However, he did not find happiness there in a year and a half, just as he did in his subsequent engagement with the Carolina Panters. (SERVICE: NFL knowledge – the most important rules in football)
Despite mistakes, Apple convinces as a defender
He now seems to have found his sporting home with the Bengals, because despite obvious weaknesses he is one of the permanent staff there.
He’s regularly beaten in man-to-man defense. at Pro Football Focus he only gets a 53.3 with a maximum grade of 100.
And yet he can keep his starting place because he does one thing better than almost anyone else. Again and again he provides pass breakups. In his two years with the Bengals he managed to prevent 22 passes – a top value!
The Bills felt this quality too. A long pass from Allen midway through the final quarter looked like a safe touchdown for Gabriel Davis, but Apple jumped in to keep the 17-point lead.
The joy about this play was so great that he then celebrated it properly and showed numerous victory dances on the sideline. All of this is just new grist for the mill of his critics.
After Apple mockery: Are the Chiefs fighting back?
The man, who has yet to catch an interception this year, will want to prove he can deliver despite his bad-boy image in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
He has good memories of the team. In the duel in the regular season, not a single ball came his way – a proof of how well he controlled his opponent.
However, given the history, that could very well change. Finally, Apple taunted the Chiefs last year when he surprisingly won against Patrick Mahomes with the Bengals. He called Tyreek Hill (now under contract with the Miami Dolphins) a “baby” and then wanted to get him and Mecole Hardman Super Bowl tickets at his expense.
The 2016 college champion got the ridicule back after his weak Super Bowl performance, but Hardman should still want to prove on the field that Apple only spits big tones.
Another landmark game awaits one of the NFL’s great villains.
