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The NFL fined New Orleans Saints defensive back Alontae Taylor $12,172 for an unnecessary roughness violation in Week 16 against the New York Jets, according to the league’s weekly on-field accountability report.
The fine stems from a second-quarter penalty that swung field position during New Orleans’ 29-6 win, a game that extended the Saints’ late-season surge to three straight victories.
Key details:
Player: Alontae Taylor
Fine: $12,172
Category: Unnecessary Roughness — “Striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing”
Game/Play: Jets vs. Saints, 2nd quarter, 14:18
The exact play that triggered Alontae Taylor’s fine
The penalty happened right after the Saints took a 6-3 lead on Charlie Smyth’s 49-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
On the first snap of the Jets’ next possession (2Q, 14:18), Jets running back Isaiah Davis carried right guard for 5 yards to the New York 40, with Carl Granderson and Jonas Sanker credited on the tackle. The play-by-play then shows the flag: “PENALTY on NO-A. Taylor, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at NYJ 40.”
That 15-yard mark moved the ball to Saints territory, and the Jets later finished the drive with Nick Folk’s 36-yard field goal to tie it 6-6.
Why the league labeled it “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing”
In the NFL’s accountability listing, Taylor’s violation is categorized under unnecessary roughness with the description “Striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing.”
It’s worth noting: the official gamebook play-by-play does not spell out the exact action beyond the penalty call itself, but that category is how the league later classified what happened on the play when issuing the fine.
The NFL notes these weekly on-field discipline decisions are posted each week and that players can appeal, with cases heard by jointly appointed appeals officers.
What it means for the Saints heading into Week 17
Taylor’s fine is also a reminder of how the league’s discipline process can tack on consequences after the game is over. The play was flagged at 14:18 of the second quarter and immediately turned into a 15-yard field-position swing, but the fine didn’t come down until the NFL’s weekly accountability release. For players, it’s basically a second layer of punishment, and for teams, it’s another coaching point when a drive gets extended (or flipped) by a personal foul.
It’s also notable the league categorized the action under “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing,” which is more specific than the gamebook’s generic unnecessary roughness notation. Taylor played an every-down role against New York, and New Orleans needs that same snap-to-snap reliability going forward, just without the freebies that can erase good defense in one whistle.
Taylor isn’t a fringe player getting a slap on the wrist; he’s been a major part of the Saints’ defense. In the Jets game, he played every defensive snap (per the snap-count section of the gamebook).
He also filled up the box score, posting seven tackles and a sack in the win.
New Orleans now turns to Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium (Sunday, December 28, 1 p.m. ET). With the Saints trying to keep their momentum rolling, avoiding the kind of post-whistle mistakes that create free yardage — and then turn into fines — is the type of detail coaches often hammer late in the year.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Anderson is also the host of The Rip City Pod on The I-5 Corridor, where he dives into the stories and personalities shaping the Portland Trail Blazers. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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