The Las Vegas Raiders opened up Allegiant Stadium in style in Week 2, earning a big win over the New Orleans Saints to improve to 2-0 on the season.
The Saints jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, but it was all Raiders from there, especially in the second half.
Although the Raiders managed to secure their first win at Allegiant Stadium in impressive fashion, it came at quite a cost for head coach Jon Gruden’s checkbook after he was fined $100,000 by the NFL for not wearing his mask on the sideline, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Now it’s $100,000 fines for Sean Payton and Jon Gruden for not wearing masks last night, and $250,000 fines for their teams. In all, five HCs and teams fined over $1.7 million dollars for not wearing masks in Week 2. pic.twitter.com/Fuk98rQO4W
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 22, 2020
It is safe to say that the tempo of this primetime showdown may have spurred both Gruden and New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton to forget about their masks. Their mistake has now proven to be quite costly since their teams were also fined $250,000 for allowing them to violate the restrictions placed in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The league sent out a memo reminding teams to make sure that they were following the COVID-19 protocols after a number of coaches were spotted mask-less during their respective 2020 NFL season openers. As a result, they were not shy about cracking down on Denver Broncos’ Vic Fangio, Seattle Seahawks’ Pete Carroll and San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan as they were also among those receiving fines.
It is easy to see why Gruden and Payton stand out among the bunch given their experience in dealing with the virus during the offseason. The news made headlines for Gruden since reports suggested that he initially lied to his team about having it, which he has adamantly refuted.
The Raiders may need to consider having one of his coaching staff double up as a mask-checker during games to ensure that he is following protocol. Otherwise, he will have to become accustomed to writing checks for the NFL on a weekly basis.
Fortunately, Gruden can take solace in the fact that his Raiders have managed to take care of business so far with their impressive start to the season. They will look to remain undefeated on the road when they take on the New England Patriots in Week 3.
