A moment before Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan and Texans receiver Andre Johnson fought on the field Sunday, Finnegan told the Texans’ sideline to get ready.
According to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle, Finnegan looked toward the Texans’ sideline and yelled, “Watch this,” right before the ball was snapped, and then proceeded to smack Johnson at the start of the play.
Although Johnson was the one who was really landing punches in the ensuing fight, Finnegan’s reputation as a dirty player precedes him, while Johnson’s reputation as a good player and good guy will probably earn him some points.
And the news that Finnegan told the Texans something was coming before the fight indicates that Finnegan knew exactly what he was starting. Which means Finnegan may be the one who gets hit harder by the league office, even though Johnson was hitting harder on the field.