Three Dallas Cowboys received bad news from the NFL ahead of their Week 15 game against the Minnesota Vikings. On December 13, the league announced its fines for Week 14, and three players appeared on the list: James Houston, Hunter Luepke, and George Pickens.
Under the league’s fine system, players are notified when a violation is issued and allowed to appeal.
Any appeal is reviewed by an appeals officer and a former NFL player, Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson, all of whom are jointly selected and compensated by the NFL and the NFLPA. Moreover, once a ruling is made, it is considered final and binding.
When it comes to which player received the largest fine, it was Pickens, whose actions in the second quarter at the 1:25 minute mark fell into the unnecessary roughness category due to his facemask infraction.
As a result, the NFL is fining him $11,593.
Luepke received the second-highest fine of the three Cowboys players.
His actions also fell into the category of unnecessary roughness due to the use of the helmet play in the first quarter at the 15:00 minute mark.
As a result, the league is fining him $8,537.
The last player is Houston, whose infraction fell into the hit on a quarterback category for a play in the fourth quarter at the 8:26 minute mark due to a blow to the head/neck.
As a result, the NFL is fining him $5,722.
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Looks to Replicate Performance
The three Cowboys players will now need to put their fines behind them.
Minnesota see an opening against a Dallas defense that gave up 44 points to the Detroit Lions in Week 14.
After scoring 31 points against the Washington Commanders, the Vikings are looking to carry that momentum forward.
J.J. McCarthy returned from a concussion and delivered a composed outing, completing 16 of 23 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns.
Notably, he stayed clean, with no interceptions.
The production may not stand out at first glance, but it reflects real progress from McCarthy and provides something to build on. Dallas, coming off a rough showing, will be focused on responding and making McCarthy uncomfortable from the start.
On December 10, McCarthy spoke with reporters and shared his thoughts on facing the Cowboys’ defense and the challenge that unit brings.
“From an overall scheme standpoint, Matt Eberflus has been doing this for a while, and I have tremendous respect for him—how he calls the game and coaches his players,” McCarthy told reporters. “Up front, though, they’re really strong, especially with those two new additions [of Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark]; it’s going to be a real test for us.
“Trevon Diggs might be back, and their linebackers are extremely athletic and physical. We’ve got our work cut out for us, but we just need to keep grinding, execute the game plan, and see where we stand Sunday night.”
Vikings Know What the Cowboys’ Defense Brings
In their win over Washington, Minnesota relied heavily on the ground game, racking up 162 rushing yards. Aaron Jones Sr. led the way with 76 yards on the ground, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
The strong running attack also eased the burden on McCarthy, reducing the need to pass to make up for a struggling rush.
“They’re a fast [and] physical defense,” Jones told reporters on December 10. “They’re flying around, they have pieces at every level on their defense, and they’re playing hungry. So we got to exceed that.”
