Matt Judon doesn’t believe his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the New England Patriots’ season opener warranted supplemental discipline.
The Patriots edge rusher was fined $10,000 by the NFL for driving Miami long snapper Blake Ferguson into the Dolphins’ bench on a Week 1 punt return, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Judon said Friday he plans to appeal the fine.
“You’re supposed to appeal every fine you get unless you really did it,” Judon said in a video conference. “And I don’t believe I did this one. So, yeah, I’m gonna appeal it and see what happens from there.”
Judon did take responsibility for the penalty, which took place late in the third quarter, even if he disagreed with it.
“I got penalized for it,” Judon said. “I asked the ref, like, ‘What did you see?’ He was like, ‘Well, it was the long snapper, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t put you over here.’ So I was wondering the same thing. I do understand, because I couldn’t see it on film, either, because the film cuts off.
“But that’s a mistake, and I definitely won’t try to have it happen again. That penalty just cost my team yards, and it was a selfish mistake. Just make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
The flag pushed the Patriots’ offense back 15 yards, moving the start of their drive from their own 43-yard line to their own 28. New England drove to Miami’s 15 before settling for a field goal in what proved to be a 17-16 loss.
The Patriots were penalized eight times for 84 yards in the game, their highest totals since the 2019 season. They committed six penalties for 52 yards in their Week 2 win over the New York Jets.
