League fines Broncos' Stewart, Marshall for Newton hits
Send a link to a friend
[September 15, 2016]
(The Sports Xchange) - Denver
Broncos safety Darian Stewart and linebacker Brandon Marshall were
fined by the National Football League (NFL) on Wednesday for hits on
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
The fines came one day after the NFL's director of officiating, Dean
Blandino, offered an explanation for Newton taking multiple
helmet-to-helmet hits -- it's all about his posture.
Stewart was fined $18,231, sources told ESPN, for his
helmet-to-helmet hit on Newton that came with just under 40 seconds
remaining in the Broncos' 21-20 victory over the Panthers in last
Thursday night's NFL season opener.
Stewart was called for roughing the passer, but Newton also was
flagged for intentional grounding on the same play, meaning there
were offsetting penalties.
Marshall's hit in the third quarter was not called a penalty, but he
was fined $24,309 for impermissible use of a helmet, ESPN reported.
Blandino said on Tuesday he believed one penalty had not been
flagged for a hit on Newton that should have been called.
Blandino likely was talking about Marshall's hit when he launched
himself into Newton, hitting the quarterback in the helmet.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Sep/15/images/ads/current/ldn_sda_062409.png)
"We reviewed all of the hits in the game, just like we do for every
other game," Blandino said on Tuesday's edition of NFL Total Access,
"and there was one call that we felt was missed."
The NFL and the NFL Players Association each said earlier in the
week they are investigating the response by medical personnel during
the game after Newton absorbed multiple hits to the head.
Newton's father, Cecil Newton, said the family was "grossly
disturbed" by the repeated shots his son absorbed in Week One.
Broncos coach Gary Kubiak defended his players against criticisms
that the team is playing "dirty."
"I disagree," Kubiak said on Monday. "We play hard, we're going to
continue to play hard."
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Newton, the
reigning MVP of the NFL, is not being treated like someone of that
stature.
"I think there is a little bit of prejudice to that," Rivera said of
the lack of penalties. "It's kind of like Shaquille O'Neal.
[to top of second column] |
![](../images/091516pics/sports59.jpg)
Broncos free safety Darian Stewart (26) forces Carolina Panthers
fullback Mike Tolbert (35) to fumble in the second quarter in Super
Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA
TODAY Sports
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Mar/14/images/ads/current/tires250x300.gif)
"He's a big, physical basketball player and he goes to set a pick
and they fall down and they call a foul on him. Then he goes to
shoot a layup and gets hacked and hammered and they don't call it."
Blandino said quarterbacks lose protection when they transition from
passing threat to running threat.
"It's basically the posture will dictate his protection," Blandino
said. "So if he's in running posture, ball tucked, advancing it as a
runner, he's treated like a runner and he doesn't get special
protection.
"If he's in a passing posture, whether he's inside the
pocket/outside the pocket, he's still going to get passer protection
- head, neck, crown to the body - those types of protection. So it's
the posture that dictates the protection."
Blandino was asked about the offsetting penalties - the
helmet-to-helmet hit and intentional grounding - being called late
in Thursday night's game despite heightened concussion awareness.
"That's the rule," Blandino said. "If it were a 5-yard penalty on
the offense, say it was an illegal formation or an illegal shift,
that 5-yard penalty would go away and only the 15-yard personal foul
would be enforced.
"But if it's a 10-yard penalty or a foul like grounding, the fouls
offset."
(Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Sep/15/images/ads/current/best_friends_sda_120215.png) |