Monday victory is expensive for three players

The Vikings' 30-27 victory over New Orleans on Monday night proved to be a costly one for cornerback Antoine Winfield, linebacker Chad Greenway and wide receiver Robert Ferguson. All three learned Friday they had been fined by the NFL for various actions.

Winfield drew the stiffest penalty, a $10,000 fine, for his celebration after a 59-yard return of a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the first quarter. As Winfield reached the back of the end zone, he grabbed the goal post and slid down it like a fire pole. A league official said in an e-mail that the fine was for "using the goal post as a prop."

Winfield wasn't the only player to get docked pay for celebrating too much in Week 5. The NFL also fined Miami running back Ronnie Brown and linemen Vernon Carey and Ike Ndukwe $10,000 apiece for unsportsmanlike conduct after they did their version of the hip-hop line dance known as the Cupid Shuffle. This came after Brown's 5-yard touchdown run in the Dolphins' 17-10 victory over San Diego.

While Winfield's celebration resulted in a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, Greenway found out he was being fined $7,500 for a play on which there was no penalty but plenty of controversy.

In the second quarter, the Saints' Reggie Bush had his facemask grabbed by Greenway on a rushing attempt. Greenway then forced Bush to fumble and the ball was recovered by Vikings safety Tyrell Johnson.

A replay was shown several times inside the Superdome, and on each occasion fans became more and more upset with referee Ed Hochuli and his crew for failing to call the obvious facemask.

It probably didn't help that Hochuli came under heavy criticism in Week 2 when his inadvertent whistle wiped out a fumble by Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler while Denver trailed San Diego by seven points late in the fourth quarter. The Broncos later scored on the drive and won the game.

Ferguson, meanwhile, was fined $5,000 for unnecessarily striking an opponent late on a third-quarter punt return by the Vikings. The play drew a 15-yard unnecessary-roughness call. Winfield, Greenway and Ferguson have the right to appeal the fines.