The NFL fined Jets guard Matt Slauson $10,000 yesterday for his block on Texans linebacker Brian Cushing in Monday’s game, according to a source.
Cushing tore his left ACL on the block in the second quarter of the 23-17 Jets loss. He is out for the rest of the season.
Slauson is expected to appeal the fine. The NFL ruled Slauson’s block was an illegal “peel-back” block. That is a block that occurs when a player inside the tackle box moves outside the tackle box and initiates contact on the side and below the waist of a player, if the blocker is moving toward his own goal line and the hit is from behind or the side.
Slauson said Wednesday he did not expect to be fined.
“I’ve been told by my coaches it was a clean block, so it would be a surprise,” Slauson said. “I hope I don’t. If I do, I’ll just deal with it.”
In Houston, Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips thought the hit was cheap.
“I thought it was unnecessary,” Phillips said. “Whether it was legal or not, all that stuff — I think it’s just unnecessary to hit a defensive player when he can’t see you.”
Slauson was not penalized on the play, but by fining him the NFL is saying he should have been.
* Safety Eric Smith sprained his knee in practice on Wednesday and won’t play Sunday against the Colts. Smith has been fighting hip and knee injuries since the preseason. Coach Rex Ryan said Smith was making a play on a pass when he injured the knee.
“He’s probably going to miss this week,” Ryan said. “I thought it was going to be much worse than that. It’s actually good news.”
* In other injury news, center Nick Mangold missed his second straight day of practice, but Ryan said he believes Mangold will play. He also is hopeful wide receiver Stephen Hill (hamstring) and tight end Dustin Keller (hamstring) will play. Both of them were limited in practice yesterday.
The other players who did not practice were NT Sione Po’uha (back), NT Kenrick Ellis (knee) and WR Clyde Gates (shoulder). Ellis is out for 4-6 weeks with a knee sprain. Ryan is unsure if Po’uha or Gates will play.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press