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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on during a game against the Houston Texans.
The Denver Broncos notched a big win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14, but there was some unfinished business to resolve with the NFL, specifically regarding Jamal Adams.
The league office has announced its latest decisions regarding a slew of infractions that occurred in games the week prior. Unfortunately for Adams, the Broncos’ 24-17 win against their AFC West rivals, the Raiders, was among those to draw additional scrutiny.
However, the Broncos managed to come out on the right side of the equation in the end.
Jamal Adams Fined Over RJ Harvey Play in Broncos’ Win vs Raiders
GettyJamal Adams #33 of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts during a game against the Seattle Seahawks.
The NFL’s Gameday Operations portal revealed that Adams received a $6,972 fine for “unnecessary roughness” over a “face mask” call in the Raiders’ loss to the Broncos.
Adams made a tackle on Broncos running back RJ Harvey. Harvey caught a pass from quarterback Bo Nix in the third quarter of the contest. In the process of the stop, Adams made contact with the rookie second-round pick’s facemask.
Officials flagged Adams, a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time First Team All-Pro, at the time.
However, league rules list face mask calls among the infractions also punishable by fines under “Player Safety Rules and/or Flagrant Personal Foul.”
NFL Goes Easy on Jamal Adams
GettyJamal Adams #33 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on against the Seattle Seahawks.
The league notes that fines can range from $11,593 to $17,389. That Adams’ infraction against Harvey drew a fine somewhere in the middle of those figures suggests some discretion from the NFL on the Raiders linebacker’s behalf.
Adams, 30, was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2017 draft by the New York Jets.
He is in his first season with the Raiders. This is after stints with the Seattle Seahawks–where he first played for current Raiders head coach Pete Carroll–Detroit Lions, and Tennessee Titans.
Adams was the only player to receive additional discipline from the league over the game. That is good news for a Broncos team that has been heavily penalized this season. They enter Week 15 with the second-most penalties accepted against them, per Pro Football Reference.
Harvey rushed for 75 yards and 1 touchdown in the Broncos’ win and emerged without injuries.
Broncos Avoiding Fines So Far This Season
GettyDenver Broncos head coach Sean Payton on the field after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders.
Despite being oft-penalized, head coach Sean Payton’s the Broncos have done well to avoid the NFL’s ire in terms of fines this season.
Broncos players have been docked four times, per Spotrac.
All-Pro outside linebacker Nik Bonitto was the most recent offender. He received an $11,593 fine for “unnecessary roughness.” The fine came after a penalty for “pulling player off pile.” It occurred in Week 13 against the Washington Commanders. The Broncos won that game, too.
Before that, no Broncos player had drawn a fine from the league since Week 7 against the New York Giants. Then, cornerback Riley Moss drew a $8,253 fine for a face mask call.
Linebacker Justin Strnad received a $15,486 fine for making “physical contact with an official.”
Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw received a one-game suspension over what the league viewed as abusive language toward an official after that contest. That made it a particularly costly game for Denver.
The Broncos’ next challenge as the regular season nears its end is a visit from the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers in Week 15.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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