And the hits keep coming.
Detroit Lions safety Tavon Wilson was fined $24,309 by the NFL on Friday for a hit on Houston Texans tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz during the Lions’ 20-13 loss Sunday.
Deemed a defenseless receiver, Fiedorowicz was sent to the locker room to undergo the NFL concussion protocol but was able to return to the game after about 15 minutes.
“I took a shot,” Fiedorowicz said Sunday. “I didn’t black out or anything. I just got a little dizzy for a couple seconds.”
The penalty came a critical time with the Texans driving to go up 14-0 in the second quarter. Brock Osweiler’s pass to Fiedorowicz was incomplete on 2nd-and-8 just outside of field goal range. Wilson’s unnecessary roughness pushed the Lions into scoring territory, subsequently putting the Lions’ offense against a wall down possessions.
Wilson’s first season in Detroit has otherwise been a success after spending the last four seasons as a backup with the New England Patriots.
As a starter for seven games this season, Wilson has racked up 35 total tackles. He has yet to log an interception and hasn’t had one since 2013, but he has stacked up well with Pro-Bowl selection Glover Quin in the back half of the secondary. Pro Football Focus (PFF) has graded Quin at 77.9 through seven weeks and Wilson has been graded at 76.3 and is among the highest rated safeties in run support.
Though, Wilson still has not been on hand for as many snaps as most other starters being replaced by Rafael Bush for the majority of passing downs. Wilson has been on hand for 161 coverage snaps to Bush’s 185 snaps against the pass according to PFF.
