Falcons safety William Moore fined $22,050 for illegal hit

Nov 10, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) tries to fight off a tackle by Atlanta Falcons safety William Moore (25) during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

This hits continue to come for the Atlanta Falcons, both literally and figuratively, as it wasn’t enough damage to simply lose by a lopsided margin against the Seattle Seahawks. A member of the Falcons secondary has incurred a large fine for actions during the rout.

News that the NFL fined Falcons safety William Moore for his hit on Golden Tate in the 1st quarter on Sunday isn’t a surprise, but the shear amount is. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes above that Moore’s fine was the largest of the entire season in the league, and for my money, this wasn’t deserving of that type of separation.

The argument against Moore is that he is a repeat offender, and despite his reputation as a helluva player, he is known around the league as someone with a penchant for overly physical play and/or head-hunting against wide receivers. As a Falcons fan, I frankly love the way Moore plays the game with tenacity and athleticism (something the defense needs in bunches right now), but at the same time, I can’t excuse repeated fines, either.

It may seem to be a minor blip (and it probably is), but Moore’s wallet will be significantly lighter in the coming days, and I don’t get it.