Atlanta Falcons safety Keanu Neal was fined Friday for a hit he put on Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Neal was docked $24,309 for the hit.
Keanu Neal fined $24,000 for hit on Eagles’ Jordan Matthews
There wasn’t a flag, but apparently there should have been.
James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
In the fourth quarter of the game, Matthews suffered the brutal helmet-to-helmet hit that was so hard he needed a new facemask. Officials on the field didn’t see any need to throw a flag on the play.
After the game, Philadelphia’s top wideout wasn’t happy with the no-call.
“Yeah, I definitely think it was [a penalty],” Matthews told reporters after the game. “My helmet was bent. I had to get a new facemask. I had to change out my facemask and my visor. I don’t know what they saw. At the end of the day, we got a win, so I’ll take a bloody lip if we get the win.”
Matthews told reporters he wasn’t offered an explanation from officials after the play. His coach, Doug Pederson, lit into the officials from the sideline soon after.
Matthews finished the day with six receptions and a team-high 72 yards. The Eagles defeated the Falcons, 24-15, to improve to 5-4 on the season.
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