The Minnesota Vikings notched an upset victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 9, going on the road and recording a 27-24 final score at Ford Field.
Sunday’s win over the Lions marked running back Aaron Jones’ second game back since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 2. The veteran ball carrier led the Vikings on the ground, taking nine carriers for 78 yards — a far-more efficient outing than Jordan Mason’s 10 carriers for 36 yards.
Jones also caught two passes for 20 yards.
At the 11:02 mark in the first quarter, Jones caught a screen pass from quarterback J.J. McCarthy and ran it for a first down. At the end of the run, the veteran running back lowered his helmet and delivered a big hit on Lions safety Thomas Harper.
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There was no flag thrown on the play, but the NFL has since retroactively handed a punishment to Jones.
Each week, the league reviews every potential penalty and determines whether or not it warrants a fine. A full list of those fines is released every Saturday afternoon.
The NFL fined Jones $23,186 for illegal use of the helmet.
His fine is the third largest of the week, trailing only Frankie Luvu’s $100,000 fine and Rashod Bateman’s $25,154.
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Jones (shoulder/toe) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday, but was able to notch limited participation in the Vikings’ practice sessions on Thursday and Friday. He’s listed as questionable to take the field for Sunday’s Week 10 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, but recent reports from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler indicate that he’s expected to play.
The Vikings are 4-4 on the season after last week’s win over the Lions. Sunday’s matchup against the Ravens will kickoff at 1 p.m. ET in Minnesota.