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Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay looks on against the Carolina Panthers.
Sean McVayaand the Los Angeles Rams are battling the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Wild Card opener. However, the NFL had something more to say about their regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals, specifically regarding two plays involving one player on the Rams’ roster.
That player is veteran tight end Colby Parkinson.
Parkinson, a former draft pick by the Seattle Seahawks who is in his second season with the Rams, was on the right side of both instances.
NFL Docks 2 Cardinals Over Rams TE Colby Parkinson
GettyColby Parkinson #86 of the Los Angeles Rams runs with the ball after a reception against the Green Bay Packers.
Per the NFL Gameday Accountability portal on January 10, the NFL fined Cardinals defensive lineman Darius Robinson $12,172 for “unnecessary roughness” under the subheading of “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing” over blows delivered to Rams tight end Colby Parkinson.
It was a run play by Kyren Williams during the second quarter that did not gain any yardage.
No flag was thrown during the contest, but the NFL often levies fines after the fact over infractions that went overlooked during the game in which they occurred.
Most importantly for the Rams, Parkinson was no worse for wear after the interaction, and they were not fined for anything that took place during the game. The NFL was not done with the Cardinals, though.
The NFL also fined Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson for a similar infraction.
Specifically, Thompson was fined $23,186 for impermissible “use of the helmet” on a play during the second quarter. It also involved Parkinson.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford found Parkinson on a second-down play that gained 5 yards, when Thompson helped teammate and Cardinals linebacker Cody Simon bring the veteran tight end down on a tackle, but led with his helmet.
Again, the most important thing is that the Rams avoided fines and injuries.
Parkinson has been a key part of the Rams’ offense. That is particularly true with starter Tyler Higbee and rookie second-round draft pick Terrance Ferguson navigating injuries.
Rams Jump Out to Early Lead on Panthers
GettyColby Parkinson #86 of the Los Angeles Rams reacts against the Minnesota Vikings.
Parkinson was in action with the Rams against the Panthers. He caught one pass for 15 yards in the first half of the Wild Card contest.
However, the Rams’ 14-0 lead turned into a 17-14 advantage before the break. Penalties kept the Panthers’ offense on the field. LA also suffered from some uncharacteristic drops from wide receiver Puka Nacua.
The Rams are dealing with the elements in a place where Stafford has historically failed to win.
Carolina overcame injuries and inconsistency–both of which they avoided in their win over the Rams during the regular season–to bring the game to within a field goal at the break.
For the Rams, they must be much sharper. That is something they expected to do after feeling they suffered from uncharacteristic and self-inflicted errors. Similar errors let the Panthers get back into a game that seemed headed for a blowout.
The Rams know what is at stake.
Moreover, they lost to a team that defeated them during the regular season in the 2024 playoffs. They certainly do not want to travel back down that path into the offseason.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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