Jets offensive lineman Matt Slauson has been fined $10,000 by the NFL for a hit on Texans linebacker Brian Cushing in the Monday night matchup between the two teams, according to Jay Glazer . The hit ended Cushing's season, as he suffered a torn left ACL on the play.
Brian Cushing injury: Jets OL Matt Slauson fined $10K for hit
Slauson was not penalized on the play, in which he cut-block Cushing. The linebacker couldn’t see Slauson coming as he went low, cutting down Cushing at the knees. Cushing was several yards away from the ball-carrier when the block was made.
The league has been moving towards guarding against players being taken out low when in a defenseless position, especially in the case of quarterbacks. Cut blocks are penalized on the field when a player is engaged with another blocker, but that was not the case on the play involving Slauson and Cushing.
Rex Ryan, Slauson’s head coach, stuck by his lineman’s block and believed the hit to be clean. The NFL obviously disagreed.
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