NFL Reportedly Fines Amendola For Hit On Chiefs' Fleming
BOSTON (CBS) -- Much was made of the hit Patriots' receiver/punt returner Danny Amendola put on Chiefs cornerback Jamell Fleming in the AFC Divisional Round, and now the NFL has responded.
The league fined Amendola for the hit on Friday, according to ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss. While no amount was given, Pro Football Talk reports that the NFL's fine for an illegal hit on a defenseless player is $23,152 for this season.
Amendola said after last Saturday's win that he thought it was a clean hit, and he would appeal any fine. He repeated that stance to Reiss on Friday.
Amendola was flagged for "unnecessary roughness" after he laid out Fleming as he attempted to catch a punt that the return man was not going to field, but was not ejected from the game.
"We're coached to do that. It's a big play if I block that guy and the ball bounces in the end zone," said Amendola, who had two catches for 18 yards in the 27-20 New England win. "We get the ball on the 20-yard line, so it's a big play in the game, big play for field position."
"I saw him block the guy trying to down the ball," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said of the play. "It's hard to tell from the coaching film where the hit occurred, but it was a legal play. We're allowed to block him. He didn't give a fair catch signal, so he's allowed to block."
Fleming made it clear after the Chiefs' loss that he thought Amendola should be suspended for the hit.
The Patriots will take on the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday afternoon.
Tune in to Sunday's Patriots-Broncos AFC Championship game on 98.5 The Sports Hub and WBZ-TV — the flagship stations of the New England Patriots. Pregame coverage begins on 98.5FM at noon with Patriots Preview, following by three hours of postgame coverage after the game. WBZ-TV's coverage begins at noon with a two-hour edition of Patriots GameDay, with Patriots 5th Quarter being simulcast on WBZ-TV and myTV38 following the game.
