GREEN BAY, Wis. -- At least the NFL didn't triple-down on Clay Matthews.
The Green Bay Packers outside linebacker said Friday that he was not fined for his much-discussed roughing penalty on Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins in Sunday's 29-29 tie at Lambeau Field.
Matthews also said he was not notified of any fine for his postgame comments in which he said the penalty in the fourth quarter that wiped an interception with 1:37 left was a "terrible call."
Referee Tony Corrente ruled that Matthews "lifted [Cousins] and drove him into the ground" on the play that would have given the Packers the ball back with an eight-point lead.
The day after the penalty, the NFL doubled down and said not only was it the correct call but that the hit would be included on a teaching tape sent to teams this week along with a penalty from earlier in the same game on Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks for hitting Aaron Rodgers.
"Friday we usually have video of plays throughout the league," Matthews said earlier this week. "It's interesting they released it as of [Monday] trying to get ahead of this whole situation. I've heard me and Kendricks, our hits on the quarterback will be teaching tactics, but I mean every week this gets a little bit harder as far as what they're asking us to do."
Even other teams were surprised Matthews was flagged. Washington coach Jay Gruden, whose team hosts the Packers on Sunday, said: "I don't know how that was a penalty." Rodgers expressed surprise that Kendricks' hit was penalized. The linebacker was not fined.
"There's a goal to limit these hits, but they're pretty obvious when you see them -- you know, a guy picking somebody up and full weight on them," Rodgers said earlier this week. "What do you say to Clay? His head is out of it. His hand is on the ground. That's not roughing the passer. Same thing with Kendricks. What do you say to him on that? I didn't get up off the ground thinking, 'Where's the penalty?' I saw a late flag and couldn't believe there was a penalty on the play."
Also Friday, Vikings defensive back Andrew Sendejo was fined $53,482 for a hit on defenseless player (Packers wide receiver Davante Adams). Sendejo is a repeat offender.
Earlier this week, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer noted the difficulty the new rules create for defenders in making legal tackles such as the one Sendejo made on Adams.