Lions center Dominic Raiola was fined for a cheap shot against the Patriots on Sunday. Just not the cheap shot everyone has been talking about.
Raiola, who admitted he took a shot at Patriots defensive tackle Zach Moore’s knees on the final play of the game, was not fined for that. But he was fined $10,000 for taking a swing at Moore’s head on another play.
“Dominic Raiola was fined $10,000 for unnecessary roughness,” NFL spokesman Michael Signora said. “Specifically, on a pass play, he unnecessarily struck his opponent, violating Rule 12, Section 2, Article 12(c) of the NFL Rule Book which prohibits ‘striking, swinging at, or clubbing the head, neck, or face of an opponent with the wrist(s), arm(s), elbow(s), or hand(s).’ The play was a third-and-nine from the Detroit 35 with 57 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Again, Raiola was not fined for his block on the final snap of the game.”
That the NFL fined Raiola for that play and not for the cut block to Moore shows that the NFL is a lot more cautious about protecting players’ heads than about protecting players’ knees. Many NFL players, especially defensive linemen, have said that all blocks to the knee should be outlawed. But the NFL is particularly sensitive about hits to the head, and it was a hit to the head that got Raiola fined.