Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall and safety Darian Stewart have been fined by the National Football League following their 21-20 win over the Carolina Panthers last Thursday, according to ESPN.
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However, ESPN reported over the weekend that a source said another hit to Newton’s head by Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall should have been flagged as well.
Marshall didn’t get called for a penalty on the field, but his fine is larger than Stewart’s because the league deemed that his hit on Newton was a helmet-to-helmet hit.
“I just don’t think that’s what we are”, linebacker Todd Davis said.
Stewart cited Newton’s strength as size as his reason for using what some might call extreme measures, though he maintained he thinks his hit was legal. “But he’s a hard player to tackle, he’s so big, and when he runs, he leans like a running back, coming right at you”.
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Following the game, Stewart said he and the Denvers would continue playing hard defensively. They seem to consciously target Newton’s helmet on the hits and now are dealing with the blowback. But the defender used a technique that we’ve been trying to get out of the game, frankly. Just because we hit Cam in the head a couple of times, that doesn’t make us dirty.
