New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots’ 21-14 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers was one of the most frustrating losses in the team’s storied history. While the five turnovers were obviously an issue, the Pats once again committed a series of mind-boggling penalties throughout the game.
While it was reasonable to get upset over New England’s propensity for racking up penalties against Pittsburgh, one of the most confusing penalties of the game involved starting cornerback Marcus Jones.
After the Steelers dialed up a screen pass on offense, Jones made a quick break on the play, but while going for the tackle, he ended up hitting tight end Pat Freiermuth low, resulting in a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty.
It didn’t seem like there was much malice behind Jones’ hit, as he was clearly going for the ball rather than Freiermuth. The referees disagreed, and so did the NFL, as it was reported Jones picked up a $9,151 fine from the league for his hit on Freiermuth.
“Patriots CB Marcus Jones (top of screen, attempting to tackle) was fined $9,151 for this ‘low block’ in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers,” Mike Reiss of ESPN shared in a post on X. “Jones was penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness. Bang-bang play. Not sure Jones even saw Pat Freiermuth as he committed to tackle attempt.”
Regardless of whether or not the hit was intentional, these are the sort of plays the NFL wants to eliminate, as they could result in serious leg injuries. Freiermuth escaped unscathed, but many players in the past haven’t been so fortunate.
This loss just continues to haunt the Pats, and it somehow ended up getting worse for Jones with this fine. He and the rest of his teammates will look to get back in the win column when they take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 4.
