Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt hit Bills quarterback EJ Manuel a whopping nine times on Sunday. Seven of those times, he was within the rules.
But twice Watt was flagged for roughing the passer, and now he’s paying the price: The NFL has confirmed that Watt was fined $16,537 for roughing the passer. Watt was fined for only one of the two roughing the passer penalties, for a hit on which he drilled Manuel in the knee area.
One of Watt’s penalties was also costly on the field, as it helped move the Bills into field goal range as Buffalo took a 3-0 lead in the second quarter. The other penalty didn’t mean much, as the Bills ended up punting on the possession.
Penalties aside, Watt had an outstanding day on Sunday, not only terrorizing Manuel but also intercepting one of his passes and taking it back 80 yards for a touchdown. If he keeps playing like that, the Texans can afford to have him pick up a 15-yard penalty from time to time. And with his enormous new contract, Watt can afford to lose sixteen grand from time to time.