Last week’s season opener against the Minnesota Vikings is one the Green Bay Packers would like to forget.
Green Bay blew a 12-point lead in the second half, and the Packers defense allowed journeyman quarterback Carson Wentz to throw for 133 yards and three touchdowns in relief of Kyler Murray, who exited the game in the first quarter with a concussion.
The play that Murray was injured on was costly for the Vikings — Murray has been ruled out for Minnesota’s Week 2 matchup against the division rival Chicago Bears — but it was also costly for one Packers player as well.
As Murray took off on a QB scramble, he ended up getting sandwiched between Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness and safety Javon Bullard.
Van Ness’ arm struck Murray in the side of the head as he went down, and Bullard smashed his shoulder into Murray’s head and neck area as he slid to the turf. While both hits likely did their own damage on the two-time Pro Bowler, it was Van Ness’ hit to Murray’s helmet that ended up knocking him out of the game.
Lukas Van Ness Punished by NFL for Kyler Murray Hit
The NFL decided the play was egregious enough to warrant discipline, as the league announced on Saturday that Van Ness was fined $17,911 for a hit on a quarterback (blow to the head/neck).
Van Ness’ actions also led to him getting called out by former New England Patriots Pro Bowl linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who’s now an analyst for ESPN.
“Let me tell you something I can do as a defender — I mean, I remember this — I could pinpoint my helmet or my shoulder on any minute detail on your body,” Bruschi said on Get Up” last week. “I can target whatever I want, and going full speed, I can hit it. I can be that accurate with my hit.
“That hit right there was to the head and neck area, he knew exactly what he was doing with that forearm with that elbow because you could put it on the knees, you could put it in the stomach — he wanted to put it on the head and neck right there.”
Van Ness’ teammate Evan Williams was also disciplined from the Vikings game, incurring a $7,087 fine for unnecessary roughness (hit on a defenseless player).
