The Dallas Cowboys won just their fifth game on Sunday, but it was perhaps the most dramatic, come-from-behind victory for an NFL team this year. After falling behind 21-0 in the second quarter to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium, Dallas rallied for 24 unanswered points to win on a 42-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey with no time left on the clock.
But the victory may turn out to be a costly one for the Cowboys’ first round draft pick from last year, offensive lineman Tyler Guyton, who was flagged for a tripping penalty with 1:26 to go in the first half.
Tripping calls are frequently subject to additional punishments by the NFL Operations Division, which has already handed down 23 fines this season for the offense it officially categorizes as “Striking/Kicking/Tripping/Kneeing.”
Guyton Fined For Blow to Face of Eagles Player Earlier
One of those 23 fines was slapped on Guyton earlier this season. In fact, Guyton was hit with the $12,172 fine for an offense that completely missed by the officials on the field in the Cowboys’ season opener, also against the Eagles.
In an odd coincidence — or maybe not a coincidence at all — in that incident, Guyton was fined for a flagrant, roundhouse blow to the face of Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt, the same player the 6-foot-8, 322-pound left tackle tripped according to the officials in Sunday’s game.
New Fine Would be Second Offense
On Sunday, Guyton was flagged for tripping Hunt as he rushed Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on a pass play behind the line of scrimmage on the Cowboys’ final drive of the first half. The penalty set Dallas back 15 yards, from Philadelphia’s 13-yard line to the 28.
But the Cowboys overcame Guyton’s penalty and finished the drive, and the half, with a touchdown anyway.
The NFL says that its officials in the league office review every play, whether flagged on the field or not, looking for transgressions that it deems worthy of further action, usually in the form of fines. If the league decides that Guyton’s trip of Hunt deserves more discipline, it would apparently count as a second offense for the 24-year-old in the Striking/Kicking/Tripping/Kneeing category.
That means, under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, Guyton would be subject to a fine of $17,968 this time around.
7th Penalty for Guyton This Season
The earlier fine handed down this year was Guyton’s first and only NFL punishment of his career, though the penalty on Sunday was the former Oklahoma Sooner’s 21st in the two seasons of his young career.
Guyton has committed seven penalties this season, though the tripping call was the first that is likely to bring an accompanying fine. His previous violations were for routine offenses frequently committed by offensive linemen, false starts and holding.
Injury to Sideline Guyton on Thanksgiving
The second-year tackle was also flagged as an ineligible downfield receiver in the Cowboys’ Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears.
The potential fine would literally be adding insult to injury for Guyton, who was forced to exit Sunday’s game in the third quarter with a high ankle sprain.
According to the Dallas official injury report Tuesday, Guyton was held out of practice due to the injury on both Monday and Tuesday. With the Cowboys scheduled for a Thanksgiving Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs, it now appears near-certain that Guyton will sit that game out.
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