On the second play of the second quarter in last week's 31-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Buffalo Bills forced an incomplete Michael Vick pass on third down to thwart a scoring chance and force a lengthy field goal try. Instead, a late hit on Vick made by second-year outside linebacker Danny Batten was flagged for a personal foul, Philadelphia's drive continued, and the Eagles scored a touchdown four plays later to tie the game at seven.
Now, according to Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com, that hit will cost Batten more than just a drive-ending play; PFT reports that the South Dakota State product has been fined $15,000 for the hit to Vick's head.
It's a stiff fine for a first-time offender, but though Batten doesn't strike us as a dirty player, his hit on Vick was egregious, unnecessary and can certainly be labeled dirty. Batten will be in the starting lineup for a second straight week tomorrow when the Bills visit the New York Giants.