NFL Report

POINT-COUNTERPOINT

Each Friday, columnist Dan Daly and Redskins beat writer Ryan O’Halloran debate an NFL issue. This week’s topic: the disparity in fines around the league, from Bud Adams’ ($250,000) to Tommie Harris’ ($7,500).

Dan Daly: Years from now - I’m totally convinced of this - people are going to look back on 2009 as the year the NFL went absolutely nuts. And one of the reasons is some of these fines that have been handed out. The league seems to be overreacting to everything. What happened on the sideline in Atlanta after LaRon Landry hit Matt Ryan as he went out of bounds was nothing by football standards. Did a punch get thrown? If so, I didn’t see it. And yet we’ve got a coach, Mike Smith, getting fined $15,000, Landry getting fined $7,500 and DeAngelo Hall raising a major fuss because Smith and the Falcons’ weight coach had the temerity to put their hands on him. What exactly did Hall, who was wearing a helmet and full pads, have to fear from a middle-aged man and some other guy who were standing there in street clothes? Honestly, it’s embarrassing.

Ryan O’Halloran: Most of these fines are comical. Remember, this is a league that has an official uniform police that docks players cash for socks and shoes violations. Bud Adams gets docked a quarter-million bucks for a couple of double one-fingered salutes. Pathetic. I love the passion. Plus, the guy is north of 85 years old - applaud him for just being able to stand. A fine should be based on potential harm to a player. Harris’ fine should have been higher (think $25K). And Brady Quinn’s $10K fine for trying to end Terrell Suggs’ season (chop block) was way too light. That was a suspension-worthy offense.

DD: It’s funny. The Saints ran a reverse a while back, and Drew Brees passed up the chance to cut down a defender and brush-blocked him instead. I said to myself, “Brees will end up starting in the Pro Bowl just because of that. All the defensive players will vote for him - rather than for Brett Favre, who was in the same situation earlier in the season and chopped a guy.” By the way, is it just me, or is there no such thing as a 15-yard penalty anymore? Seems like it’s always 15 yards plus some money. For goodness’ sake, we’re playing football here. I wouldn’t have fined Landry a dime. He hit Ryan above the waist just as he was stepping out of bounds. If you want to throw a flag, fine, throw a flag, but the fine was piling on.

RO: If Landry would have hit Michael Turner above the waist on the Redskins’ sideline, there probably wouldn’t have been a penalty, much less a fine. But Landry hit the wrong player in the wrong location. I would love to get Roger Goodell’s take on these fines and what justifies the amount and the penalty in each case.

WEEKEND PICKS

REDSKINS THIS WEEK

REDSKINS (3-6) at COWBOYS (6-3)

Sunday: 1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 5

Line: Cowboys by 11

Outlook: Dallas was rolling until it was stonewalled last week in Green Bay, its offense limited to a garbage-time touchdown. The Cowboys have called for coordinator Jason Garrett to call more running plays, which makes sense against the Redskins’ 24th-ranked rush defense. There are some one-on-one matchups Washington can win but not enough to have its first winning streak in more than a year.

The pick: Cowboys 27-21

GAME OF THE WEEK

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