For the second consecutive week, an Arizona Cardinals player was fined for a play that failed to draw a penalty flag from the officials.
In last Sunday’s game against the Jets, the NFL’s fine police “discovered” an alleged blindside block by cornerback Kei’Trel Clark on a Jets punt from their own 21-yard line in the second quarter. Clark lined up on the right side of the Cardinals punt-return team and was matched against the gunner, who appeared to be either Brandin Echols or Jarrick Bernard-Converse.
The player got by Clark, but he caught up to the player at about the Cardinals 48-yard line and blocked him from the side as the player moved toward Clark. It wasn’t a particularly hard block and occurred in the open field, but there was no flag thrown. The fine was $5,373.
The previous week, safety Joey Blount was fined $16,883 for a facemask infraction on a Bears punt, on which there was no apparent grab or pull. There was also no penalty called on the play and Blount has appealed. He was also fined for a penalized facemask penalty in Week 6 against Green Bay.
Meanwhile, Jets cornerback D.J. Reed was fined $11,255 for taunting on the second-quarter, nine-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyler Murray to wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Reed was covering Harrison, and at least on available replays was not seen taunting anyone.
In the first 10 weeks of the season, there have been 264 plays league-wide that resulted in fines and the Cardinals have been involved in six.
Two other teams have had six plays fined, Indianapolis and Minnesota. Seven teams have had fewer: Pittsburgh and Tennessee, 5; Cincinnati and New England, 4; and Green Bay and Washington, 3.
Those with double-digit fined plays are New Orleans, 17; Miami and the N.Y. Jets, 14; Denver, 12; Detroit and Kansas City, 11; Houston, Philadelphia, Seattle and Tampa Bay, 10.
Cardinals fined in 2024
- LB Mack Wilson Sr. vs. Rams, penalized for taunting: $11,255
- TE Trey McBride vs. 49ers, non-penalized block out of bounds: $9,545
- S Joey Blount vs. Green Bay, penalized facemask: $5,472
- RB DeeJay Dallas vs. Green Bay, penalized horse collar, $11,102. Dallas had the fine rescinded on appeal.
- S Joey Blount vs. Chicago, non-penalized facemask: $16,883
- CB Kei’Trel Clark vs. N.Y. Jets, non-penalized blindside block: $5,372
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