NFL will fine Mac Jones $11,139 for low block on Eli Apple

Cincinnati Bengals v New England Patriots
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Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has been involved in multiple questionable plays in the past. He has not yet been fined for any of them.

For Saturday’s hit to the knees of Bengals cornerback Eli Apple, Jones will be fined.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Jones will be fined $11,139 for his low block on Apple. It happened after a change of possession; by rule, all blocks below the waist are a violation at that point.

The letter officially informing Jones of the fine will be delivered on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The move from Jones seemed questionable, given that he was part of the effort to make a tackle. following a turnover. Jones claims he was trying to keep Apple from blocking Patriots receiver Tyquan Thornton.

Regardless, it was a maneuver that violated the rules. And Jones will be making an involuntary contribution to the charity of the NFL’s choice.

35 responses to “NFL will fine Mac Jones $11,139 for low block on Eli Apple

  1. The only reason Mac is being fined is because of the uproar on social media and in the mainstream press. His past actions were viably more deliberate and he got away with those dirty plays.

  2. It’s a slap on the wrist. Hopefully a Defensive player takes a fine (that equates to a slap on the wrist for millionaires) and takes Mac Jones’ knee out. Then maybe he’ll remember that he’s about as tough as a kicker.

  3. He has serious anger management issues. His temperament is all wrong for the position he plays and he clearly doesn’t handle failure or adversity very well at all. Almost all of these incidents have occurred as the result of him screwing up and failing. The incident with Brian Burns occurred after he was strip sacked and lost a fumble. The incident with Apple occurred because of what he thought, at the time, was a fumble. His constant temper tantrums and arguing with the coaches are signs of a player that can’t handle failure or adversity. If you are going to be a QB in the NFL you have to be able to handle failure. Not every game or play is going to go your way and you have to have the temperament to be able to handle the ebb and flow of a game and a season. This is really the first year that Jones has had any real adversity to deal with.

    Last year he was on a winning team, helped lead the Pats to the playoffs and was pro bowl alternate. About as good of a rookie season that he could have hoped for. But now this season he has had a lot of setbacks including being benched, missing games due to injury and not getting a long with his OC Patricia. Whatever you think of Patricia, he is still a coach and Jones essentially waved him off and told him to hush on MNF. Can’t do that. Anybody can handle success, but how you handle failure reveals your character and lack thereof. If I were the Pats I could strongly consider if it’s worth dealing with all this for a QB with a low ceiling. Maybe just move on and not deal with what is essentially a ticking time bomb.

  4. I’m a bama fan, Mac Jones is quickly proving himself to be not at all what I thought he was. Nick saban’s system can cover up a lot of deficiencies.

  5. For the record, that’s 5 threads in connection with an $11K fine on a play that no one was hurt and that had no impact on the game.

    Does the NFL ever fine itself for letting guys stay in the game with concussions? How about for missing calls that impact wins and losses?

    Seems like their priorities are misguided.

  6. Mac Jones is a spoiled, below average Quarterback with anger management issues. His career will be over in three years.

  7. bruce4. The local sports radio talk show here supported Mac’s behavior big time since they can’t stand Patricia either, which they show by being disrespectful on air. However,that’s what sports talk radio is, both here and nationally. Mac needs to learn the difference between big mouths on air and professional QBs.

    I think he has crossed the line too many times; he’s a QB who has only been in the league for two years.

  8. I was off by three thousand but the result was what I thought. This is Mac Jones first official incident but far from his first dirty play in his short two years. Next offense will likely be a one game suspension since other players will start making statements to the league about his cheap shot artist antics. Also if I were Mac I would wear knee pads from now on.

  9. So, this means OTs or DBs can’t go at the shins or anlkles like they do regularly ? It’s the safest place to go low.

    This seems a little sad considering Joe Burrow went low on Marcus Jones and no one said anything on the pick 6. So, which is it?

    Mac’s block wasn’t a blindside block at all.

    Me thinks Eli Apple went to social media after being embarrassed and people just blindly accept being conditioned and now Goodell reacts.

  10. Lol…. The faux outrage & chest thumping is pretty funny…IF Applesauce had of actually gotten hurt Mac probably would have done the Bengals a favor….Mac didn’t go at his lower body, he just jumped in front of him to slow him down & embarrassed him for not being able to hop over him….

  11. Goodell once again puts the call in.

    I’ll never understand why he disciplines BB’s team so much.

    Oh yeah, that’s right. He’s jealous.

  12. Apple should go look at the film of him going low at Gronk and Kelse both. Im sure he’s probably done it some others but he has thrown exactly the same move on those guys when he had to stop them.

  13. touchback6 says:
    December 26, 2022 at 11:14 pm
    So, this means OTs or DBs can’t go at the shins or anlkles like they do regularly ? It’s the safest place to go low.

    This seems a little sad considering Joe Burrow went low on Marcus Jones and no one said anything on the pick 6. So, which is it?

    Mac’s block wasn’t a blindside block at all.

    Me thinks Eli Apple went to social media after being embarrassed and people just blindly accept being conditioned and now Goodell reacts.

    A little research could have saved you from being wrong:

    Blocks below the waist are prohibited in the following situations: By players of either team after a change of possession; or. By players of the kicking team after a Free Kick, Safety Kick, Fair-Catch Kick, Punt, Field-Goal Attempt, or Try Kick; or.

  14. tigerlilac says:
    December 26, 2022 at 9:13 pm
    For the record, that’s 5 threads in connection with an $11K fine on a play that no one was hurt and that had no impact on the game.

    —–

    Flawed logic. You are diving at at players knees when he is running at full speed. Just because there was no serious knee issue to Apple does mean this coward gets to keep diving at peoples knees without being fined or suspended. Sure didn’t tackle Chandler Jones in the same way. Lost all respect for the guy after the 2nd time. I wish football was hockey sometimes, because then he would really have to fact the music.

  15. Last week Chandler Jones very patiently and well explained to Jones why QB’s don’t just try and body up defensive players.

  16. Pats fans should be happy about this distraction from Mac’s absolutely horrific play. He’s exactly what we thought on draft day. Most pro ready but very limited athletic skill set, with a very low ceiling in the NFL. Add in his apparent inability to deal with adversity and his short temper and his playing career will be short and mediocre . The Bills look forward to ending the Patriots non-playoff season next week. In the meantime we have a real game against a talented opponent to worry about

  17. Oh yeah, that’s right. He’s jealous.
    ___________
    Nobody is jealous of a last place team, kid.

  18. Before the rule change, that would have been considered a great block. I don’t see an iota of evidence to suggest “intention to hurt” or “dirty play” or “cheap shot” or any of the other hyperbole trying to denigrate Jones’ act. If the criteria around the rule change dictate a fine, so be it, but in no way was it any more than a rule violation.

  19. So a slap on the helmet gets you suspended and fined a game check (Gregory & Aboushi), but trying to take out some guy’s knees costs $11 grand (Jones). OK, got it.

  20. BermudaBoy says:
    December 27, 2022 at 6:35 pm
    So a slap on the helmet gets you suspended and fined a game check (Gregory & Aboushi), but trying to take out some guy’s knees costs $11 grand (Jones). OK, got it.

    ———-

    Exactly. Nothing wrong with a scuffle between 2 guys. But a lot wrong with cheap shots

  21. If Eli Apple (or any of you cupcake commenters) were to get injured by a “cheap shot” that amounted to only a guy flopping to the turf in front of him in a half-hearted effort to slow him down, he would have to be the considered softer than a marshmallow.

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