Damontre Moore fined 20K for late hit on Sam Bradford
By John Buhler
Giants defensive end Damontre Moore received a $20,000 fine for his late hit on Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford during Week 6’s Monday Night Football game.
New York Giants defensive end Damontre Moore is now $20,000 poorer after the NFL levied a large fine on the third-year passer rusher out of Texas A&M for his absurdly late hit on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford.
Moore at one point was a leader on Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay’s 2013 NFL Draft Board after an impressive career with the Texas A&M Aggies. An underwhelming combine and routinely poor performances during the interview process caused the sure-fired Top 10 pick to fall into the New York Giants’ lap in the third round.
However as a professional, all that Moore has done for himself prove that he can deliver late hits. Moore earned a $10,000 fine for a late hit against Tennessee Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger last season. The NFL’s policy for a second late hit offense yields at least a $17,363.
The NFL decided that 20K was a justifiable amount to collect from Moore after essentially pile-driving Sam Bradford into the turf of Lincoln Financial Field seconds after Bradford threw the football.
Moore received a roughing the passer flag, which allowed the Eagles to continue their drive to tie up the ball game at seven apiece. Philadelphia would later trounce arch rival New York, 27-7, to take a Week 6 lead in the NFC East.
That late hit on Bradford ignited the Eagles to “pile-drive” the Giants by putting up 27 unanswered points on Monday Night Football. It seems as though the NFC East will remain one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL this season, from top to bottom.
While losing a divisional game on the road is understandable, what was Damontre Moore thinking on that play? It changed the game’s complexion for the New York Giants. What if this loss, and to some degree that penalty, costs the Giants an NFC Playoff spot? Outside of the Snapfu in Indianapolis, this could go down as the dumbest play so far in 2015.