Official Chargers Blog

After further review the NFL has determined that Chargers safety Marlon McCree will not be fined. Some thought McCree’s fourth-quarter hit on Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh was a dirty play. Not according to the National Football League and other who seen multiple replays.

“His contact with T.J. Houshmandzadeh was properly flagged for pass interference because the contact was made prior to the attempted reception. However, McCree did not make illegal contact with his helmet or his forearm.” NFL officials report regarding the hit in question. “In reviewing the play, it was clear that McCree made contact with his shoulder into Houshmandzadeh's shoulder, which is legal. Then, as Houshmandzadeh fell to the ground, his helmet made contact with linebacker Randall Godfrey's knee.”

“(McCree) was just trying to make a play on the ball. He got there a little too soon." Houshmandzadeh said, "It wasn’t actually his hit that hurt me. It was the fact that the linebacker (Godfrey) was coming so fast. (Godfrey) tried to jump over me but as he jumped, he kneed me in the head. It was just one of those split-second type of accidents, basically.”

“It was shoulder-to-shoulder; it was not helmet-to-helmet. The officials had it right: it was defensive pass interference." Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer said earlier this week. "They also had it right when they didn’t throw a flag for unnecessary roughness.”

Including last week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, McCree has been penalized only twice since joining the Chargers. The other penalty was defensive holding.