NFL Announces Punishment for Broncos Duo Before Cowboys Game

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Riley Moss #21 of the Denver Broncos reacts against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.

Dre Greenlaw was not the only Denver Broncos player who received discipline from the NFL this week. Teammates Justin Strnad and Riley Moss also got bad news from the league as the Broncos prepare to face the Dallas Cowboys.

All three players’ infractions occurred during the Broncos’ 33-32 win over the New York Giants in Week 7.

However, Moss and Strnad have not been suspended for their actions, as Greenlaw was for his.

Riley Moss Fined for Facemask Penalty in Broncos-Giants

According to the NFL’s football operations portal, Moss received a fine for an unnecessary roughness/facemask penalty he incurred in the third quarter of the Broncos’ win over the Giants in Week 7.

Moss, a former third-round pick in the third year of a four-year, $5.4 million contract, received an $8,253 fine as a result. It is the first fine Moss has received from the NFL in his career.

This was also the least costly of his two penalties in the game, as the Giants eventually punted.

Moss was also penalized for pass interference in the fourth quarter, which, while questionable to draw protest from Broncos head coach Sean Payton, more importantly led to a Giants touchdown on the following play.

“That was silly,” Payton told reporters on October 19. I had just felt like, man, I’m close with a number of people on that crew. But it just so happens in the last three times, the numbers haven’t been good. And I knew the certain penalty was wrong. That’s hard, because it made it first and five that led to their first score [of the second half]. That’s happened one other time. I just wanted them to hear me. You can’t do that.”

NFL EVP Telegraphed Justin Strnad Fine

Like Moss, whose unnecessary roughness penalty was sure to draw a fine, Strnad’s comes as little surprise.  In one key way, it is even less surprising.

Strnad had an interaction with referee Brad Allen before Greenlaw confronted the latter.

“There was some contact with, I think it was Justin, No. 40, and each one of those are just isolated,” NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent told Mike Florio on “Pro Football Talk” on October 23. “He’ll be held accountable. So, that will come in fine for him.”

Strnad, on a one-year, $2.8 million contract, received a $15,486 fine. Vincent said that while Strnad would be penalized, Greenlaw’s punishment served as an example.

NFL Made Example Out of Dre Greenlaw

Vincent presented the idea that the league was using Greenlaw as an example, suspending him and not Strnad, for not only their NFL brethren, but also future generations of pros. Greenlaw’s use of “abusive” and “threatening language” was the basis for his suspension.

Greenlaw was not fined for the incident. However, his suspension was without pay.

“There’s just no place no no place in the game for that,” Vincent told Florio. “Also, I think it’s part of the message that the NFL wants to send to all lower levels of sport. We’ve seen incidents postgame at the youth level between coaches and officials. We don’t need that to happen. And I think if you take a strong stand with the Dre Greenlaw, maybe – maybe – it sends a message to the other.”

Greenlaw can return to the field in Week 9, when the Broncos will visit the Houston Texans, who are 2-4 entering Week 8.

Kyle Dugger Absence vs. Browns Strains Patriots Secondary

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — With their Week 8 matchup against the Cleveland Browns set to kick off at Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots are hoping to continue their winning ways heading into Week 9.

The Patriots (5-2) enter this matchup on the heels of a dominant 31-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Cleveland (1-5) also won its Week 7 contest against the Miami Dolphins by a score of 31-6 at Huntington Bank Field.

With just over an hour until the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, the Patriots and Browns have released their lists of inactives:

PATRIOTS INACTIVES:

S Kyle Dugger

LB Caleb Murphy

WR Efton Chism, III

DE Eric Gregory

DE Keion White

G Caedan Wallace

QB Tommy DeVito (3rd QB)

What it Means for the Patriots:

Dugger entered the weekend as questionable for Week 8 with a knee injury. The Lenoir-Rhyne product did not participate the the Pats final practice of the week and was the lone Patriot to be listed on their ultimate injury and practice participation report. 

This season, Dugger has appeared in all seven games [making four starts] while compiling 17 total tackles. Due to his preseason and early-season struggles, the former Pats’ team captain has been the subject of both trade and release rumors — the former of which are expected to continue up to the NFL’s 

Nov. 4 trade deadline. 

Throughout his five-plus seasons in Foxborough, Dugger has appeared in 81 regular season games, making 69 starts. He also started his only playoff appearance in 2021. The Decatur, Georgia native has compiled 441 total tackles, nine interceptions and two fumble recoveries, while scoring three defensive touchdowns. His extensive knowledge of the Patriots playbook made him the logical choice to serve as their starter with veteran Jaylinn Hawkins being sidelined for the past two games with a hamstring injury.

Despite having just been signed by the Patriots on Oct. 15, defensive back Richie Grant’s elevation from the practice squad may indicate that he is likely to inherit some of the reps normally allotted to Dugger. The veteran safety was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an unrestricted free agent this past offseason but was released prior to the start of the season. Throughout his four seasons in the NFL, the 6’0” 200-pound defensive back has played in 67 games with 33 starts and has accumulated 264 total tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, 17 passes-defensed and 11 special teams tackles.

The Patriots may also turn to second-year defensive back Dell Pettus, perhaps the more-likely choice to receive Dugger’s reps. Pettus has logged 10 total tackles, one forced fumble and one run-stuff in reserve duty this season.

BROWNS INACTIVES:

QB Shedeur Sanders

CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse

S Damontae Kazee

RB Raheim Sanders

G Zack Zinter

T Cornelius Lucas

DT Adin Huntington

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