Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said that Danny Amendola’s block on Chiefs cornerback Jamell Fleming while Fleming was attempting to down a punt in last Saturday’s game was a “legal play,” but the officials disagreed.
Amendola, who opted not to field the punt as the punt returner, was penalized for unnecessary roughness on the play. The league also disagreed with Belichick’s assessment.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that Amendola said Friday that the league informed him that he has been fined for the hit. He didn’t disclose the amount of the fine, but the NFL’s schedule of fines for the season calls for a $23,152 fine for an illegal hit on a defenseless player.
Amedola said early in the week that he would appeal any fine for the hit and repeated that vow on Friday.