The NFL has fined two players for illegal hits in last Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, in which Baltimore prevailed by a 23-20 final, making it responsible for two of the Steelers' three defeats on the year.
According Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the NFL docked Steelers safety Ryan Clark $40,000 for hitting Ravens tight end Ed Dickson, whom the officials deemed defenseless, in the second half of Sunday's loss. It's the second straight week in which Clark earned a fine for an illegal hit. The 10-year veteran plans to appeal the fine: "If you watch the film in slow-motion, by the time the play is over, my back is almost turned to him to make sure that my helmet was out of the way," he said.
On the other side of the ball, the NFL fined Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis $20,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit he put on Pittsburgh wideout Hines Ward in the game, says Dale Lolley of The Observer-Reporter. The play dazed Ward and he did not return.