For the Patriots, the guy who was contrite after the game was the one paying more than the guy who was furious.
The league has confirmed to PFT that Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon was fined $15,750 for his leg-whip of Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson, while quarterback Tom Brady was not fined for chewing out the game officials on his way off the field.
Cannon’s play was by any reasonable measure a dirty one, which led him to apologize to Johnson after the game. Of course, it resulted in a MCL sprain for Johnson, who will miss this week’s game against the Dolphins.
For Brady, his free speech rights remain free, after he was caught on the broadcast berating the officials who picked up a flag instead of calling a last-second pass interference on Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. The Patriots quarterback was in rather salty form, according to amateur lip-readers everywhere, but he was not punished by the league.