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Tom Orsborn
Cowboys strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh learned Wednesday that the league fined him $5,000 for a horse collar tackle in the second quarter of the 34-21 win over the Bucs, the Cowboys' Web site is reporting.
There was no flag thrown on the play in question, a tackle of Cadillac Williams. Sensabaugh is planning to appeal the fine.
The fine adds insult to injury because later in the game Sensabaugh injured his ribs while slamming into receiver Michael Clayton after Clayton made a catch over the middle. Rather than risk a hefty fine for helmet-to-helmet contact, Sensabaugh ripped into the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Clayton with his body, a move that forced him to the sideline for the rest of the game.
"It was like running into a brick wall," Sensabaugh told reporters Monday. "I think it's a disadvantage (the crackdown on helmet-to-helmet contact.) A lot of rules are changing because of offensive guys. A tight end probably has 40 or 50 pounds on you. You can't hit him square every time. You have to hit him low or high, but high is out of the game. I guess you can hit him low, but I think that will cause some injuries too just trying to hit a guy really low when he's not looking. A surprise hit if you hit him low, you can end a guy's career doing that.
"I guess they want to shy away from the concussions and all of that. If you hit him in the middle area, it's going to be a stalemate every time. It's something you have to deal with. I'll be all right and I'll be ready to do it again next time."
Despite his sore ribs, Sensabaugh is practicing today, according to the Dallas Morning News' Web site. Same goes for RB Felix Jones (thigh) and QB Tony Romo (ankle). Recently signed OLB Curtis Johnson (hamstring) is practicing for the first time.
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