DAVIE, Fla. — Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso got lost on his way back to the sideline Saturday night, accidentally running to Baltimore‘s side and standing right next to Ravens coach John Harbaugh.
Alonso made a third-down tackle after a short catch by Ravens tight end Maxx Williams to force a field goal attempt. After the tackle, Alonso began running toward the Ravens’ sideline. Halfway into his trot, he turned backward looking toward the field and backpedaled, only to find himself in enemy territory.
“I kind of just went over there, and it was the wrong sideline,” Alonso said. “It happens.”
Alonso appeared to be talking to a Ravens assistant coach, who pointed in the direction of Miami’s sideline.
It took Harbaugh telling Alonso he was on the wrong side before the veteran linebacker realized his mistake, put his helmet back on and jogged across the field. The Dolphins were hit with a delay-of-game penalty.
Alonso flipped over Williams and then onto his head when he made the tackle, which he said disoriented him. But he said he was fine physically and realized shortly after that he was not in the right place. Going to Baltimore’s sideline was not intentional, he said.
“Not at all. If you can see the whole thing, I did a flip over the guy and I went over there with my head down,” Alonso said. “I was totally fine. People obviously right off the bat were like, ‘Oh my God, he’s concussed.’ I’m like, ‘No.'”
Alonso said Ravens players and coaches were telling him to “get out of here,” but because Baltimore already was lined up to run a play, he didn’t know if he could leave the sideline. When Alonso rejoined the Dolphins, he started smiling and shaking his head.
Both teams got a bit of a laugh out of it. A few Dolphins teammates were joking about the play after the game.
“They were all saying stuff,” Alonso said. “I’m definitely going to hear that for a while, and it’s well-deserved.”
Alonso and the Ravens have a history.
He hit a sliding Joe Flacco last October, leaving the quarterback bloodied and with a concussion during a 40-0 Baltimore win. Alonso sent Flacco an apology text the next day, but Harbaugh was among the Ravens angered by the hit.