Despite Clay Matthews’ insistence that he wasn’t targeting Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson with a blind-side block during Sunday’s game, the NFL fined the Green Bay Packers linebacker $22,050 on Thursday for an illegal hit.

Matthews delivered the blow during a second-quarter interception by Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. It was one of four picks thrown by Wilson during the NFC Championship Game in CenturyLink Field.

“I was just blocking whoever and it turned out to be the quarterback and obviously calls are going to go in their direction whether it was a blind-side hit or whatever,” Matthews said afterward. “I’m just looking to pick up a block and, unfortunately, that’s just how the game played out.”

Wilson rallied the Seahawks in the fourth quarter and overtime to a 28-22 victory that sent Seattle to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year.