The NFL has reversed its decision on a controversial penalty called against Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp during the team’s win over the Miami Dolphins last week. Rapp was initially flagged for a personal foul in the first quarter after tackling Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert, with officials ruling it a helmet-to-helmet hit. However, after reviewing the play, it became clear that Mostert had lowered his helmet into Rapp, making him the one to initiate the contact.
The league acknowledged this mistake. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones pointed out that Mostert was fined $18,830 for lowering his head to initiate the hit, which essentially confirmed that it was Mostert, not Rapp, who should have been penalized. The initial penalty had drawn criticism, as many believed the officials wrongly penalized Rapp when Mostert’s actions were the primary cause of the collision. Though the Dolphins had already converted a 3rd-and-11 before the hit, the penalty on Rapp moved Miami into Bills territory and set up a field goal.
The NFL also issued a fine later in the game for another controversial hit. Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer was flagged for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman, which led to a first down and helped set up Buffalo’s game-winning field goal. Poyer was fined $11,193 for unnecessary roughness, though he defended the play, claiming he believed it was a clean hit.
However, the hit on Coleman had serious consequences for the Bills, as the receiver injured his wrist and had to leave the game. Head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Coleman would miss the team’s Nov. 10 game against the Indianapolis Colts and could be sidelined for additional games.
