Fine Day: Taylor Vindicated After Turkey Day

With 14 seconds left in the first quarter, the Chiefs had second-and-goal from the Indianapolis 4-yard line. Kansas City shifted into a four-man backfield with Rashee Rice and Kareem Hunt flanking Kelce, and Patrick Mahomes several yards behind the big tight end.

Kelce took the direct snap, waited for blocks on the right side and snuck into the end zone. The play would’ve marked his third career rushing touchdown and first in four years if not for the penalty – personal foul, facemask on Taylor.

Film showed Taylor indeed grabbing Colts defensive end Kwity Paye above the neck and spinning him away from Kelce, but the contact wasn’t to Paye’s facemask. It was to his collar, inside the frame, and shouldn’t have been called. The league acknowledged as much at week’s end when it didn’t fine Taylor.

McDuffie, Suamataia docked

Trent McDuffie wasn’t so lucky, though. The cornerback appeared on Saturday’s list of Week 12 fines, docked $11,593 for grabbing a facemask on a play that did not draw a flag.

Early in the first quarter of that Colts game, the league saw on film McDuffie grab the facemask of rookie tight end Tyler Warren. Although McDuffie made the third-down stop short of the sticks, he wound up a little lighter in the wallet.

Also, while Kingsley Suamataia dodged a fine at Denver in Week 11, he didn’t dodge charitable contributions two weeks in a row. The NFL this week docked the second-year Chiefs lineman $8,108 for an illegal blindside block. The play occurred in the Colts game, on a fourth-quarter screen pass to Brashard Smith.

On the play, Suamataia got in front of Smith, who wound up gaining 22 yards on the pass, and peeled back to pick off former Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward. Although the hit didn’t seem egregious or particularly nefarious, by definition it was illegal because Suamataia hit Ward with the lineman’s shoulders squared toward his own goal line.

The play drew a 15-yard personal foul, temporarily derailing the Chiefs, but they were able to overcome the infraction and punch in their only touchdown of the game later in the drive.

Developing nastiness that coaches love in an offensive guard, Suamataia was not fined the week prior in Denver when he was called for illegal hands to the face on a play that ripped the helmet off the head of Broncos defensive end Malcolm Roach.

Full list of Week 12 NFL fines

Here’s the full list of NFL fines listed alphabetically by team; includes player, quarter and time of play, fine category and fine amount.

ARI, Andre Baccellia, 1, 15:00, Unnecessary Roughness, Away from the play, $5,722

ATL, Feleipe Franks, 4, 12:13, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Taunting, $8,111

BAL, Dre'Mont Jones, 4, 1:56, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Violent gesture, $14,055

BUF, Reggie Gilliam, 1, 1:38, Unnecessary Roughness, Use of the helmet, $11,111

CHI, D.J. Moore, 3, 9:47, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Taunting, $11,593

DET, Brian Branch, 1, 1:49, Unnecessary Roughness, Hit on a defenseless player, $23,186

DET, Jack Campbell, 4, 4:45, Unnecessary Roughness, Hip-drop tackle, $17,389

DET, Dan Skipper, 3, 4:54, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Taunting, $6,917

JAX, Dennis Gardeck, 1, 15:00, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Taunting, $11,275

JAX, Robert Hainsey, 3, 9:25, Unnecessary Roughness, Low block, $12,172

KC, Trent McDuffie, 1, 10:39, Unnecessary Roughness, Facemask, $11,593

KC, Kingsley Suamataia, 4, 12:22, Unnecessary Roughness, Blindside block, $8,108

SF, Jauan Jennings, 4, 0:37, Unnecessary Roughness, Striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing, $12,172

TEN, Jihad Ward, 1, 5:45, Unnecessary Roughness, Striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing, $7,806

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