NFL Facing Punishment Decision on Jaxson Dart Incident

Dart was involved in a contentious incident in the fourth quarter — one that could lead to a punishment decision from the NFL.

The sequence transpired at the 4:35 mark of the fourth quarter with the Giants at third-and-8 in the Raiders’ red zone. After releasing his pass, Dart took a hit from Raiders rookie cornerback Greedy Vance Jr., who was assessed with a personal foul for his tackle.

Vance made helmet-to-helmet contact with the Giants QB, resulting in a roughing the passer call against the Raiders. According to Rule 12 Section 2 Article 11 of the NFL rulebook, “any physical acts against a player who is in a passing posture (i.e. before, during, or after attempting a pass) which, in the game official’s judgment, are unwarranted by the circumstances of the play will be called as fouls.”

While roughing-the-passer penalties result in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down, that was not the case in the particular sequence of the Giants-Raiders game. This is because Dart was also called for an intentional grounding infraction on his pass, resulting in offsetting penalties.

Either way, Dart was able to scramble to the endzone to close out the drive with a touchdown, marking his second rushing TD of the day.

It’s Vance, however, who will now need to await the NFL’s decision on his personal foul. NFL rules stipulate that roughing the passer penalties are eligible for a fine of $17,389 for a first offense and $23,186 for a second.

Vance has not been fined for any violation this season. The league will announce its decision via the gameday accountability report, which is published every Saturday.

Dart and the Giants will close out their season with a home game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. The Raiders, on the other hand, get the Kansas City Chiefs for their final game of the campaign.