Rookie safety Akeem Davis breathed a sigh of relief as he learned that the NFL ruled that his helmet-to-helmet hit on Jacksonville punt returner Mike Brown last Sunday did not draw a fine.

Davis, called up from the practice squad last week, made his NFL debut on Sunday and turned in an impressive first play as he lined up on the punt coverage unit. Davis beat all of his teammates downfield on punt coverage and delivered a perfectly timed, bone-jarring hit that planted Jacksonville’s Mike Brown at the 14-yard line for no gain just after the return man had tucked the ball away.

The hit drew the cheers from teammates and a chorus of “Ooooohs!” from the crowd at FedEx Field. One of the referees didn’t share the same sentiment, however, and threw a flag for unnecessary roughness, pointing out that Davis’s helmet had struck Brown’s facemask.

Such a hit could have drawn a fine of $16,537, which would have consumed much of Davis’s first game check, which is $24,705 before taxes.



Akeem Davis celebrates a tackle against Jacksonville. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Davis last Monday said he had aimed for Brown’s sternum as he flew in for the tackle. But at the last second, Brown’s upper body lowered as the ball dropped into his hands, and he tucked it away. Davis said next time around, he would take an even lower angle to account for the returner’s body adjustment.

In the same game, left tackle Trent Williams was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, and cornerback DeAngelo Hall drew a penalty for unnecessary roughness. However, neither received fines for his infraction.

Join us tomorrow, beginning two hours before kickoff, for a Redskins-Eagles live blog and a discussion thread.

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