NFL Announces Punishment for Vikings Player in Loss to Eagles
It’s been a rough last few days for the Minnesota Vikings. Not only are they on a two-game losing streak, but one of their players will be light in their wallet due to an incident in their Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
On October 25, the NFL released the Week 7 Gameday Accountability fines for player infractions. The fine schedule is agreed upon by both the NFL and NFLPA and provided to all players before the season begins.
Players cited for a violation have the right to appeal. Appeals are reviewed by officers, including former NFL players Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson, who are jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA.
For the Vikings, the player who was given a fine was linebacker Ivan Pace for unnecessary roughness after using his helmet on a play in the fourth quarter at the 1:57 minute mark. As a result, the league is fining Pace $5,759 for that incident.
Can the Vikings Turn Their Situation Around?
The fine isn’t the end of the world for the Vikings. Still, it just piles on the challenging few days for Minnesota. After losing in Week 7 to the Eagles, they opened Week 8 with a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers
Nonetheless, Wentz isn’t worried about the sub-.500 record, expressing confidence that the team will rebound as they gear up for their Week 9 clash with NFC North rival, the Detroit Lions.
“I just know the guys in that locker room,” Wentz told reporters postgame on October 23. “I know the guys; I know the coaches; I’ve still only been here for a short period
“I have a lot of confidence in the guys. Hopefully, we can keep getting some guys back healthy, all that stuff. This was a short week. This was a tough one. We just didn’t have it tonight. The NFL is weird. It’s hard to win, hard to be consistent. So at the end of the day, just turn the page and go attack it next week.”
Vikings Face Major Hurdle Amid Losing Streak
Meanwhile, the Vikings have several areas of their game that need work as they head into Week 9. O’Connell didn’t sugarcoat the result, openly acknowledging that the Chargers were better across the board.
“We got outplayed,” O’Connell said (h/t Pro Football Talk). “We got outcoached; we did not — there are no excuses. Injuries, short week, whatever it is, that is not in any way, shape, or form our standard of what we want to put on the field, and we’ve got — as I told our team — we’ve got an opportunity in front of us where we need to own this.
“This is not a bury the tape kind of time for our organization. This is a ‘watch it, view it, own it’. Every coach, every player. And it starts with me. I did not have our team prepared to play.”
NFL Announces Punishment for Lions Player for Baker Mayfield Actions
The Detroit Lions had a victorious showing during their Week 7 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field on Sunday, October 19. When the clock went down to zero at the end of the fourth, the Lions walked out of there with a 24-9 score and a winning record of 5-2 going into their bye week. That win even pushed the Detroit Lions to the top of NFL Power Rankings, with both ESPN and the NFL’s Week 8 Power Rankings having them at No. 1.
But, NFL games are packed drama and antics, and the Lions vs. Buccaneers game was no exception. There were heated moments during the contest, and one of them landed one Detroit Lions player a hefty penalty from the NFL.
Every week during the regular NFL season, the league penalizes players for their actions in the previous week’s games. The NFL notes on their website that these actions are “to protect players from unnecessary risk and preserve competitive balance and game integrity, the NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed on a set of game-related rules violations that may result in accountability measures.” The new roster of players getting hit with punishments goes up every Saturday afternoon.
Detroit Lions Player Hit With NFL Repremend
In the NFL’s report for Week 7, defensive end Tyrus Wheat was slapped with a $5,722 fine for “unnecessary roughness” and “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing.” Specifically, in this instance, Wheat tripped Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in the pocket while trying to make a pass. In the game, the refs didn’t call it as a foul against the Detroit Lions and instead gave Wheat the sack. Now, they’re making good on that misstep in the game with the postgame fine.
According to the NFL, those fines will go to the Professional Athletes Foundation to “support legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the game.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Rachaad White was hit with a fine for his actions during the Lions game, too. His fine was a whopping $46,371 for “use of the helmet.”
Detroit Lions Week 8 Stats
As mentioned above, the Detroit Lions are topping Week 8 power rankings from NFL analysts and experts, which is a great thing for the Motor City. ESPN has the Lions at No. 1, along with the NFL’s official website.
In a feature published on Tuesday, October 21, Eric Edholm of the NFL’s website says of the Lions’ “Jared Goff’s pick before halftime helped gift the Buccaneers points, but the Lions’ offense responded with a touchdown on its first drive of the third quarter and the defense played incredibly well all night, especially considering the circumstances.” He adds, “The Lions might have taken the Chiefs’ best punch in Week 6, but they took out their frustrations on a good Bucs team that they might see again in January.”
Fox Sports also has the Lions at No. 1 in a feature out Tuesday, October 21. In it, Ralph Vacchiano says of the Lions, “The Lions sure bounced back nicely from their loss in Kansas City with a win over the Bucs. They aren’t perfect, but they can do it all and may be the most complete team in the NFL.”
The Detroit Lions’ next game is against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, November 2. The Vikings lost to the Chargers on Thursday, October 23, with a 37-10 score, and are in a freefalling state when it comes to quarterbacks, so that will only help the Lions.
