Veteran Bills DE fined by NFL for kneeling incident in Week 4 vs. Ravens

The NFL fined Buffalo Bills defensive end Dawuane Smoot $8,156 for kneeing Baltimore Ravens guard Patrick Ricard in the head during their Week 4 game, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The incident occurred in the final moments of the first quarter after a rush by Derrick Henry. Smoot and Ricard fell to the ground with each other during the game, with Smoot being the first to get up; he kneed the back with the helmet as he passed. A referee spotted the action and hit Smoot with an unnecessary 15-yard roughness penalty; the Ravens found the end zone four plays later to give them a 14-3 lead.

It was an out-of-character play for Smoot, who has taken just 12 defensive penalties in his eight-year professional career. He signed a one-year contract with the Bills during the offseason after spending his first seven seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, recording 23.5 sacks throughout his time in Duval County; He has played 47 defensive snaps for Buffalo in two games so far this season, recording four tackles.

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