San Francisco 49ers DE Quinton Dial said today that he has been fined by the league for the controversial hit on Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer. He stated, "I don't think the ref saw it clearly." Dial will appeal the fine.
The play occurred on 2nd-and-10 in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game between the two squads. With the game tied and the Cardinals at their own 32-yard line, Dial appeared to have sacked Palmer for an 8-yard loss.
A flag was thrown and Dial was penalized for roughing the passer. Instead of facing a 3rd-and-18 at the 24-yard line, the Cardinals now had a first down at their own 47. Eight plays later, the Cardinals would score – breaking the tie.
#49ers Quinton Dial says he got fined for hit on Carson Palmer, will definitely appeal. "I don't think the ref saw it clearly"
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) December 2, 2015
The sack was controversial because many have argued that the play was a textbook hit on the quarterback and that Palmer ducked into the hit. "Yeah, when I watched the replay, I saw that he just kind of ducked into it and there was obviously nothing I could do at that point, just fall into him," Dial said. He insisted that it was a legal hit.
On Monday, 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula was asked about the officiating in the game and Dial's hit on Palmer. "Listen, things happen on a football field in real time. My vantage point of the play is we came in and Dial was working to get to the strike zone, which we call a strike zone. Same way you throw a pitch, from the knees to the shoulders. And that's where we're aiming to tackle for the integrity and safety of the game. So, that's what we do. And I did see him lower to get into that strike zone. But, I am not here to critique officiating," said Tomsula.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians felt differently. "He got hit right in the face," he said this week.
Quinton Dial was fined for this hit on Carson Palmer on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/BAP1NhFi83
— 49erswebzone (@49erswebzone) December 2, 2015
On Tuesday, referee Pete Morelli and his crew were pulled from the upcoming Sunday night game between the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers and were reassigned to the game between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. They were pulled due to the errors made in the matchup between the 49ers and Cardinals. However, much to the ire of San Francisco fans, it sounds like the league is insisting that Dial's hit on Palmer was not one of those errors.
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