Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said Thursday he didn’t understand the discrepancy in the NFL’s fine system, considering the vastly different amounts from a pair of hits he saw firsthand.
Phillips said he didn’t get that Texans linebacker Tim Dobbins was fined three times as much as Jets guard Matt Slauson was for a cut block which ended the season of Texans linebacker Brian Cushing.
“I don’t understand the fine system when Cushing gets put out for the season on an illegal play — I know Dobbins hit the guy,” Phillips said, via Tania Ganguli of the Houston Chronicle. “I understand that. It’s his first offense. [Matt] Schaub got hit way worse than that in the ballgame. . . .
“I just don’t see the fairness in all of it. It’s only defensive players basically. If a linebacker gets put out for the season, it’s 10,000 dollars, but it’s 30,000 if the quarterback gets hit.”
Phillips also pointed out that because Cutler continued to play, it was hard to pinpoint that Dobbins’ hit caused his concussion.
“And, the guy made an 11-yard run the next play and tried to run over our defensive back and then he played the next series and had a 19-yard run in that series. When did he get a concussion? You can’t say he got it then for sure,” Phillips said. “
“When he’s throwing the ball, you still have to be careful. You can’t determine if he’s one yard or two yards across the line of scrimmage. . . . If he’s in a throwing motion, we’ve got to be careful. I’m not saying the guy shouldn’t be fined, I’m just saying I don’t understand the fine system. Because it’s on national TV and the Chicago quarterback got a concussion, now it’s a big fine.”
In a roundabout way, Phillips was echoing the sentiments of Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher earlier in the day, who said cut blocks such as the one that ended Cushing’s season are as big a deal as concussions.
But what both also have to know is that there aren’t nearly 4,000 players suing the league for cut block-related health problems right now.