The Green Bay Packers were firing on all cylinders in the first half of their season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers went into halftime up 19-10 and completely shut down the Vikings' explosive offense. Then Minnesota put together an epic comeback, scoring 29 unanswered points, 22 in the fourth quarter alone, to beat Green Bay 39-22.
As if that wasn't bad enough for the Packers, now they've been hit with two big NFL fines. Linebacker Lukas Van Ness received a hefty $17,911 fine for a blow to the head/neck of the quarterback, and safety Evan Williams was hit with a $7,087 fine for unnecessary roughness/hit on a defenseless player. The Van Ness fine, in particular, surprised a lot of people.
Everybody assumed the fine would stem from the chaotic first-quarter play where Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray suffered a concussion. Van Ness hit Murray's helmet during that play, and safety Javon Bullard was the one flagged on the field. But it looks like the NFL won't be fining anybody for that sequence.
Instead, Van Ness' fine came from a separate hit on backup Carson Wentz in the third quarter, where he made contact with Wentz's helmet and facemask. No penalty was called on the field, and the play went largely unnoticed. Williams, meanwhile, hit Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson in the back while he was falling after making a catch late in the second quarter, drawing a 15-yard flag for hitting a defenseless receiver.
More news: Cowboys Hit With Biggest Fine Total in NFL After Week 1 Meltdown More news: 49ers Slapped With Costly Fines After Lopsided Week 1 Win The Packers head into Week 2 needing a win over the New York Jets, a team that just dismantled the Tennessee Titans in their own season opener. The Jets' offense looks revitalized under Geno Smith and offensive coordinator Frank Reich, and the team loaded up on the defensive side of the ball in the offseason. Green Bay is still one of the best teams in the NFC and has a manageable upcoming schedule, with a home matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 followed by a game against the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay.
More news: Cam Skattebo Fires Warning Shot at Aaron Donald Ahead of Giants-Rams
Extract — continue reading at the source.
