Regardless of whether the replay process failed to properly award possession to the Packers following the fumble by return specialist Keisean Nixon on the game-opening kickoff return in Sunday’s Wild Card game, the NFL has implicitly revealed that the turnover should have been reversed by a penalty.

The league has announced that Eagles linebacker Oren Burks was fined $8,333 for unnecessary roughness resulting from the use of his helmet on the first play of the game.

The problem with the rule against lowering the helmet to make forcible contact with an opponent is that it’s rarely ever called, even if it’s far easier to spot than the nebulous, four-part hip-drop rule. Starting in 2018, the league prohibited players from using their helmets as weapons, dropping the head to ram it into an opponent.

Still, it was obvious when it occurred, even though Fox’s Tom Brady exclaimed that it was an “absolutely clean hit” and the NFL posted the replay on its YouTube account with the headline “BIG hit alert!”

It wasn’t clean. It was a violation. An uncalled foul that set the tone early via a quick Eagles quick touchdown, with a backhanded admission six days later that the all-star crew of officials screwed up.