T.J. Ward rips Panthers: 'They want to be rappers, backup dancers'

The Carolina Panthers talked plenty before the game. The Denver Broncos got the last word.

And T.J. Ward, one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the NFL, saved his biggest blow for the postgame media session.

Via USA Today's Lindsay Jones, Ward said that the Panthers were too concerned about fame and not enough about football.

“We don’t have to say nothing," Ward said. "We let them do all the talking. We let our pads talk. We talk with our helmets and our shoulder pads. They could do all the media talking, you know what I’m talking about? We’re not about that flashy stuff. We’re about that grind, putting in that work. Grind it. Work. That’s how you get the ‘ship."

Then Ward laid the hammerblow.

"They want to be famous. We want to be champions," Ward said. "They want to be rappers and backup dancers. We want to play football.”

Oh my.

And as if that didn't do it, Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips provided the finishing move — a dab on the most famous Panther of them all, Cam Newton, who was picked by Ward in the second half.

A little Dab with do you but too much Dab will undo you!

— Wade Phillips (@sonofbum) February 8, 2016

Yes, it's always smarter to save the talking for after the game.