According to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy, both Bengals safety Chris Crocker and backup middle linebacker Dan Skuta have received a nice little early Christmas present from the NFL -- fine letters. Both players are to be fined for illegal hits they made on Rams players in Week 15 when the Bengals beat St. Louis 20-13.

Crocker's fine came along with a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer in which he struck Kellen Clemens helmet-to-helmet. Skuta's fine is from a block, in which he also struck a Rams player helmet-to-helmet, on a punt return. The Bengals were not penalized for Skuta's illegal hit, though.

There have been a handful of fines against Bengals players in 2011 but they haven't accumulated nearly as many as some other teams or even other players. Steelers linebacker James Harrison may have had to pay more money to the NFL for fines than the entire Bengals team.