Ravens upset with hit that left Flacco with concussion
The Baltimore Ravens are angry and calling for a review of the rule book after watching Joe Flacco being helped off the field, bleeding and disoriented following a late hit.
Flacco suffered a concussion Thursday night against Miami after he went into a slide designed to prevent the quarterback from being tackled. The Ravens were off Friday and provided no update on the quarterback’s condition.
It is unclear if Flacco will be ready when Baltimore plays on Nov. 5 at Tennessee.
Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso crushed Flacco late in the first half, prompting his exit in a game the Ravens won 40-0. Alonso received a penalty for unnecessary roughness on the play, but that was of little consolation to the Ravens.
“He was sliding, and the guy came in high. They’re trying to take that play out, but it happens,” safety Eric Weddle said. “Maybe they’ll look at in in the offseason, and in that situation, the guy should get ejected.”
Flacco threw a touchdown pass earlier in the game and helped Baltimore take a 13-0 lead before Alonso’s hit ripped the helmet from the quarterback’s head and put a gash near his ear that required stitches.
“Was it clean? Was it dirty? It doesn’t matter,” Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “At the end of the day, our quarterback went down, and the whole team took it personally.”
On Friday, Miami coach Adam Gase said, “Kiko was in a tough spot. He’s running for the first down, and I think he’s kind of waiting on what’s he going to do. When he’s sliding, it’s not like a true slide you normally see. He’s kind of half in, half out.
“It’s a tough, tough play to tell a guy what to do. If he completely stays away from him and he keeps running and goes headfirst and gets a first down, we all go, ‘What are you doing? Finish the play.’ I don’t think Kiko was trying to do anything maliciously.”
Bills still dealing
The Jacksonville Jaguars traded for Buffalo Bills nose tackle Marcell Dareus. The Jaguars sent a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft to the Bills for the 330-pound run-stopper.
The trade continues a roster purge under new Bills coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane. They dealt receiver Sammy Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams and cornerback Ronald Darby to Philadelphia on the same day in August.
Fines levied
Jets linebacker Darron Lee was fined $36,464 by the NFL on Friday for a roughing the passer penalty and another $9,115 for a facemask call in New York’s loss at Miami last Sunday. Lee, in his second season out of Ohio State, has been fined four times this year for a total of $72,925. … Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict added to his lengthy list of infractions, receiving a fine of $12,154 for kicking at the head of Pittsburgh fullback Roosevelt Nix. Burfict avoided a suspension, but this marked the 10th time he has been disciplined by the league — resulting in more than $2.6 million in fines.