Patriots Standout Defender Receives Unfair Fine from NFL

The New England Patriots struggled on both ends of the field to start the season. After losing multiple competent veterans to serious injuries, less-proven players had to step up and fill the void. Second-year defender Keion White has been one of those players who have filled in admirably in a larger role. The former second-round pick has been one of the bright spots for the Patriots through the first part of the season.

Things took a turn for the worse in Week 5 against the Dolphins. White was whistled for two costly penalties in the third quarter, giving the struggling Miami offense 30 yards, who later capitalized with a field goal.

On Saturday, White was dealt two serious fines for his transgressions in Week 5. According to Patriots insider Mike Reiss, the league fined the former Georgia Tech standout twice for $9,386 each, one for the horse-collar tackle and the other for the roughing-the-passer penalty.

As Greg Bedard points above, the roughing-the-passer penalty was blatant but receiving a fine for a horse-collar tackle seems excessive for a first offense. The two fines combined made for an expensive morning for White.

After the Dolphins game last week, White had said he wasn't trying to change his approach. Saying "You win some, you lose some. I really don't care" about the penalties, White was steadfast in continuing his aggressive mentality. Whether he thinks differently about it after the fines remains to be seen.

That mindset has worked out well for him so far as he is having a much better season than his rookie campaign. With four sacks, four tackles for loss, and 10 QB hits in five games, White has been an excellent pass rusher for the Patriots so far. With his 74.6 PFF grade, he ranks 22nd among 110 eligible edge defenders in the league.

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