Cowboys Dak Cheap Shots Lead to Fights and Fines of Bills' Dirty Players

Dallas Cowboys Dak Prescott Cheap Shots Lead to Fights and Fines of Buffalo Bills Tyrel Dodson & Taylor Rapp

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys didn't play well enough in their loss last week at the Buffalo Bills to do much griping about a pair of cheap shots that victimized Dak Prescott ... two hits that were so dirty and blatant that some critics believe the Bills were targeting the QB should have earned in-game ejections.

Instead, the NFL's review of the plays - which in one case led to an on-field fight - has resulted in the dirty actions earning fines.

Buffalo offered up a helmet-to-helmet contact from Tyrel Dodson and now Dodson has been fined $11,167.

Would love an explanation from the NFL as to how this hit on Dak Prescott isn’t an ejection. pic.twitter.com/QLBFuux81u

— Michael Bier (@MichaelJBier) December 17, 2023

Earlier in the game, Prescott was hit during a slide and it was the Bills' Taylor Rapp who was flagged for the late hit ... leading to Cowboys offensive lineman Zack Martin coming to the defense of his quarterback and earning a flag for shoving the dirty defender after the play.

Taylor Rapp committed an unnecessary roughness for a hit on Dak Prescott. But Zach Martin comes to hit Rapp, which made for another unnecessary roughness... and a scrum between the two teams.

It's a testy game so far. #Bills #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/oRuHweDeHC

— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) December 17, 2023

And Rapp on Saturday was fined $21,855.

Both plays resulted in unnecessary roughness penalties for the Bills. ... but again, Cowboys people wonder why they didn't merit ejections.

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In the end, the NFL is trying to salvage its position as the "policeman'' on the scene ... and sort of blowing past the possibility of Prescott being targeted. ... and just making the two offenders write checks.

The problem with the system, of course, is obvious: If a team can knock a star quarterback out of a game, thereby greatly influencing the outcome ... isn't that worth $21,000 bucks or $11,000 bucks?