NFL hits Bills player with news he doesn't want to hear during the team's bye week
The Buffalo Bills (9-2) are enjoying the huge win over the Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) during the Week 12 bye week, but one player's week took a bit of a hit thanks to the NFL's decision to fine him.Linebacker A.J. Epenesa was fined $15,400 for a hip-drop tackle during the win over the Chiefs. Per […]
The Buffalo Bills (9-2) are enjoying the huge win over the Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) during the Week 12 bye week, but one player's week took a bit of a hit thanks to the NFL's decision to fine him.
Linebacker A.J. Epenesa was fined $15,400 for a hip-drop tackle during the win over the Chiefs. Per the NFL's Gameday Accountability log, the tackle occurred with 12:51 left in the game, but Epenesa wasn't flagged for the tackle on Chiefs running back Carson Steele.
The fifth-year linebacker is currently second on the team with 5.0 sacks and his nine quarterback hits are also second-best. He's 1.5 sacks away from matching his career-best of 6.5 quarterback takedowns, which has been his yearly total for the last two years in a row. He's also just one quarterback hit away from tying his career-best of 10 hits, which was also set over the last two seasons.
The NFL is sending a message when it comes to hip-drop tackles, even if the league isn't 100% on the full definition. It's unfortunate that he wasn't flagged during the game, because it certainly seems like the refs and league decision-makers aren't seeing eye-to-eye on the topic.
It'll be interesting to see if Epenesa appeals the fine, much like Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith did when he was charged for a hip-drop tackle on Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin. The NFL ultimately decided to rescind Smith's fine, so there's certainly precedent already in place for that to potentially happen to Epenesa.
