Ever since the NFL created a rule against lowering the helmet and making forcible contact with an opponent, plenty of fines have been imposed. Flags, however, haven’t been thrown nearly as often.
During the second quarter of Sunday’s 48-10 rout of the Bengals, Vikings cornerback Jeff Okudah drew a penalty for illegal use of the helmet. The hit came after receiver Tee Higgins caught a pass on third down during Cincinnati’s first scoring drive of the game. (The attached photo shows Okudah approaching running back Samaje Perine on a different play.)
Okudah was not fined for the infraction.
The rule has proven to be difficult to enforce. Plenty of fines have been overturned on appeal. With Okudah, someone apparently decided that, if Okudah were fined, that one would be reversed, too.
This didn’t stop the league from imposing five use-of-helmet fines for Week 3. Raiders defensive back Isaiah Pola-Mao was fined $17,248, Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II was fined $5,045, Saints defensive end Bryan Bresee was fined $18,581, and Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams was fined $23,186, and 49ers linebacker Fred Warner was fined $23,186.
Pola-Mao, Bresee, and Williams were penalized. Gordon and Warner were not.
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