Commanders Star Officially Fined Twice in Win vs. Lions

One came by way of a second quarter tackle against running back Jahmyr Gibbs. It was ruled a hip-drop tackle, albeit rather inconsequential, and earned a $16,883 fine, per Tom Pelissero.

Luvu was not penalized on the play, but that doesn’t mean the NFL cannot enforce financial punishments after the fact. Further, the league has opted to use fines as the primary form of legislation on hip-drop tackles due to their frequency and how difficult they can be to call in real time.

The other fine came on one of the game’s biggest plays from the previous drive. Lions quarterback Jared Goff was intercepted by safety Quan Martin, who returned the errant pass for a pick-six. Goff attempted to tackle Martin but was met by Luvu instead. The linebacker made contact with the head/neck area and sent Goff tumbling to the turf as the Commanders put points on the board.

Goff missed a drive as he was checked for a concussion but returned to the game shortly after. Luvu was not penalized for the hit, despite Fox’s rules analyst suggesting otherwise.

Once again, he was hit with a $16,883 fine, bringing his Divisional Round total to $33,766.

Meanwhile, players receive only $54,500 for playing in the Divisional Round.