The NFL handed out some puzzling fines, together with a heftier punishment for Mac Jones than for Bills DB Damar Hamlin, who gave Jakobi Meyers a concussion.
Rules within the NFL can appear arbitrary at instances — simply ask any fan who has been on the unsuitable aspect of a nasty name by subjective referees.
In line with that subjectivity, it virtually looks as if two totally different people decided separate fines to penalize gamers within the Patriots-Bills matchup. After the Patriots misplaced 24-10 to the Bills, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was dealt one other blow: a $10,609 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The offending play consisted of Jones flipping a soccer off a Bills defender after a expensive sack — an rude gesture, certainly, however one which’s pretty gentle in a sport the place gamers gouge eyeballs in canine piles.
Even if $10K looks as if pocket change for Jones, the difficulty is {that a} extra bodily detrimental play resulted in a fine that was lower than half the associated fee, but it triggered much more injury for the opposing group. Jones’ ball hardly grazed his opponent’s leg, however Bills security Damar Hamlin crashed into Jakobi Meyers to stop a go ultimately zone. Hamlin was ejected for the hit, and Meyers walked off the sphere with a concussion. Hamlin is just going through a $4,806 fine for pointless roughness, whereas Meyers has already been dominated out for Monday because of the damage.
Patriots followers puzzled by disproportionate punishment for Mac Jones and Damar Hamlin
About a third of the NFL is feeling the ache of unsportsmanlike conduct fines after Week 13, however that doesn’t even account for the entire puzzling fines seen up to now week. New Orleans Saints defensive finish Cam Jordan was handed a hefty $50,000 fine for allegedly faking an damage, however an MRI scan following the sport affirmed that Jordan was truly injured. Bengals security Jessie Bates additionally noticed a $50,000 fine for the identical.
Yet someway, a Bills participant who triggered tangible mind injury on an ejection-worthy hit is fined half the value of a celebration. It’s a questionable transfer by a league that makes a present of valuing neurological well being, but is fining its gamers for inflicting a lot much less precise hurt. Dancing ultimately zone or flipping a soccer in frustration is much less dangerous than a concussion in each measure conceivable, but the fines are extra targeted on policing habits than tackling strategies.
As Ian Rapoport factors out, there wasn’t even a flag thrown on Jones’ play.
While Jordan’s fine will doubtless be overturned in attraction, it’s robust to think about Patriots followers getting justice for the penalty disparity at play.
