Lions Center Dominic Raiola Admits Diving At Patriots Zach Moore’s Knees On Final Play


Dominic Raiola is the center for the Detroit Lions, and it’s understandable that he got a bit frustrated at the New England Patriots on Sunday, November 23. The pats won 34-9 and had the game in control early, but Raiola thinks they simply decided to run up the score on the Lions.

He has now fully admitted to that being the reason that he purposely took a shot at the knees of Patriots’ Zach Moore on the final play of the game. A move that will most likely get him fined and possibly even suspended.

Raiola isn’t hiding the fact that he did it though, per Bleacher Report.

“I cut him. We took a knee, so I cut the nose (tackle). They went for six (a touchdown). They went for a touchdown at 2 minutes. They could have took three knees and the game could have been over. It’s football. He wants to keep playing football, let’s play football. Not a big deal. It’s football.”

The reason the Pats went for the touchdown is that they were down on the one-yard line and couldn’t very well just keep taking a knee. Well, they could have but the reason they were at the one-yard line is why they attempted the touchdown.

New England attempted a field goal but Lions linebacker C.J. Mosley committed an offsides penalty, and it gave the Pats an automatic first down. After that, they simply got it into the end zone.

Per Sports Illustrated, the Lions had no timeouts remaining and could do nothing to stop the Patriots from getting into the end zone. That is, except for playing defense and stopping them from getting into the end zone.

Raiola believes that the Patriots should have taken a knee three times and gone for a field goal or let the clock run out. Then again, if the Lions wanted to stop the Lions from running up the score then they could “keep playing football” as Raiola said. It is what they’re out on the field for anyway.

Vince Wilfork, defensive tackle for the Patriots, said that he hadn’t seen Dominic Raiola’s move, but he still thinks it was wrong.

“I just heard what happened, but that was stupid. I didn’t see it, but from what I heard … You’re taking a knee. They’d get mad if we were just to blow up one of their players, so I mean, it’s just uncalled for. But at the same time, you always have to protect yourself, so you always have to play with your neck on a swivel and being alert for 60 minutes, and it came down to it today on a bonehead play like that. But luckily no one got hurt and we can move on.”

It is now well known that the NFL is doing everything they can to protect their players, and that includes in two main areas — the head and below the knees. Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady is even the reason that new rules/penalties went into place for players diving at other players below the knees.

Dominic Raiola may not care what he did and says it’s just “football,” but he may care more once a fine is laid down on him.

[Image via Fox]

Share this article: Lions Center Dominic Raiola Admits Diving At Patriots Zach Moore’s Knees On Final Play
More from Inquisitr