Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Zach Pascal has been fined $11,255 for taunting, but that’s not the biggest fine ramifications to come out of the victory last Sunday over the New England Patriots.
The headline is that New England running back Antonio Gibson was fined $14,805 for the use of his helmet on the play in which Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. suffered a concussion that will keep him from playing this week. Adding insult to injury is that there was no penalty flagged on the play.
The concussion is apparently bad enough that Wilson wasn’t seen on the practice field at all this week.
It was on the fourth play of the game that quarterback Drake Maye connected with tight end Austin Hooper for a five-yard gain. Wilson was blitzing and Gibson lowered his head, hitting Wilson in the facemask with his helmet. Analyst Ross Tucker called it “an excellent blitz pickup” and seeing Wilson on the ground, added about the hit, “Hard to see anything there.”
In fairness, the contact with the facemask came from the side instead of straight-up and happened quickly.
Pascal’s fine came on a kickoff return by Gibson in the fourth quarter. There was also no penalty was called on that play.
After Gibson was tackled, Pascal and Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins pushed each other, but Pascal then got in the face of Hawkins with his helmet.
One other Patriots player was fined on a play where there was a penalty. Defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. sacked quarterback Kyler Murray on the first possession of the third quarter, but was flagged for a horse-collar penalty, negating the sack and costing his team 15 yards.
Instead of third-and-20 at their own 45-yard line, the Cardinals had a first down at the New England 26 Five snaps later, the Cardinals went ahead 16-3 on a 40-yard field goal by Chad Ryland.
Wise was fined $16,883.
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