Danny Amendola fined for hit on Jamell Fleming


Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola has been fined $23,152 for his hit on Chiefs cornerback Jamell Fleming in last week's divisional round game.

Amendola laid out to block Fleming on a punt play in the second quarter of New England's win over the Chiefs and was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

Looking at the play again, there are some angles where it looks like he leads with his shoulder and not the crown of his helmet, and then there are other angles where it looks like he does indeed lead with his helmet.

If the photo at the top doesn't show much, perhaps the photo below could paint a clearer picture. It shows Amendola from a side view, and he looks to be leading with his shoulder.


In any case, because Amendola hit Fleming near the head and the argument that a hit like that wasn't necessary in that situation, he was penalized.

After the game, Fleming threw some shade Amendola's way, saying Amendola knew exactly what he was doing when he made the hit.

Alex Reimer of SB Nation:

"Of course he knows he stuck me and everything," Fleming said, via the Boston Globe. "€œAnd the crowd knows it, but there’€™s nothing I can do about it. We have one of the best pooch-area punt teams, of course, and I find the ball very good. Of course that was calculated. That wasn’€™t no fluke play. Everybody knows that, your own fans know that. So that’€™s how you know it’€™s bad."



Here's a video of the play again. Apologies for the not-so-great quality.



Amendola said he'll appeal the fine.

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