The Washington Commanders suffered their fifth consecutive loss last week, falling 44-22 to the Detroit Lions. It was another frustrating defeat for the Commanders, especially highlighting the struggles of their defense.
Tensions boiled over in the second quarter when defensive tackle Daron Payne punched Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Officials immediately ejected Payne, who was later suspended for one week by the NFL. As a result, Payne will miss Sunday’s game in Madrid against the Miami Dolphins.
After the game, Washington defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw insisted that St. Brown threw the first punch a couple of plays before Payne’s retaliation. Many believed Kinlaw was simply standing up for his teammate. As it turns out, Payne and Kinlaw were correct. Payne posted a short video clip on his Instagram showing St. Brown throwing the initial punch at him.
St. Brown initially downplayed the incident after the game. While Payne shouldn’t have punched St. Brown, had the official properly called a penalty on St. Brown at the moment of the first punch, Payne’s escalation might have been avoided altogether. Therefore, we believe the NFL should have suspended St. Brown for one game, just as they did with Payne.
On Saturday, the NFL handed out punishments across the league, including for the incidents in the Commanders vs. Lions game. Kinlaw was fined $28,555 for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and making contact with an official.
St. Brown was punished as well — but not with a suspension. With the Lions facing the Philadelphia Eagles in a big Sunday night game, the NFL seemed reluctant to affect that matchup. Instead, St. Brown was fined $12,172.
This disparity in punishment raises questions about the fairness and integrity of the NFL’s disciplinary system. Meanwhile, players and coaches are routinely fined for criticizing league officiating.
And one can’t help but wonder: what consequences, if any, did the official who allowed this escalation face?
Sounds fair, right?
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/amon-ra-st-brown-fined-090204621.html
