The NFL fined four players and two coaches a total of $83,665 for their actions in the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati wild-card game.
Bengals cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones was fined $28,940 for contact with an official, a foul that moved the Steelers closer for their game-winning field goal in the final seconds Saturday night.
His teammates Wallace Gilberry and Domata Peko were each fined $8,681. Gilberry’s fine was for unsportsmanlike conduct and Peko’s for unnecessary roughness.
Steelers guard Ramon Foster was fined $17,363 for unnecessary roughness.
Earlier this week, the league suspended Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict three games without play for his conduct in the game, which Pittsburgh won 18-16 to advance to Sunday’s AFC divisional round game in Denver. Burfict was flagged for a hit that knocked out Steelers star receiver Antonio Brown, who was ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Broncos.
Although Burfict wasn’t issued any additional fines this week, he’ll miss out of $502,941 of his $2.85 million salary in 2016 if his suspension is upheld.
Jones apologized Friday for claiming Brown was faking a concussion at the end of the game, posting a video on Instagram in which he said “I apologize sincerely. Get well.” Jones said in the aftermath of the loss that Brown winked at him before being helped off the field after taking a shot to the head from Burfict.
Also, Pittsburgh assistant coaches Mike Munchak and Joey Porter were each fined $10,000.
Munchak was penalized for pulling safety Reggie Nelson’s hair on the sideline after a play concluded. Porter was fined for being on the field when Jones drew his into his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the closing seconds.
Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier was not fined for knocking Bengals running back Gio Bernard with a helmet-to-helmet hit that wasn’t penalized.
Also, Green Bay defensive end Datone Jones was fined $17,363 for his roughing the passer penalty on Kirk Cousins in the Packers’ 35-18 wild-card win at Washington last weekend.
The Steelers and Bengals were fined a total of $118,649 in their previous game, a 33-20 win by the Steelers in Cincinnati on Dec. 13. Burfict was fined $69,454 for three separate infractions in that game, which started with a pregame skirmish at midfield when Burfict and Steelers linebacker Vince Williams got into it.
The Steelers were upset with Burfict for his actions in the Bengals’ victory in Pittsburgh on Nov. 1. In that game, Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell suffered a season-ending knee injury on a tackle by Burfict, and some of the Steelers took exception to the way the demonstrative Burfict strutted after his hard hit.
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