The NFL has ruled Cam Brown's clothesline on Demario Douglas a clean hit.
Gameday accountability from last week's action did not include any discipline for Brown, a fourth-year New York Giants defender who took down Douglas, the New England Patriots' returner, with a clothesline on a punt during fourth quarter action at MetLife Stadium last week. New York won the game 10-7, dooming the Patriots (2-9) to their fourth consecutive defeat.
There was no penalty charge on the field for the hit though Douglas had to leave early with a head injury. The rookie receiver will not play in Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers (1 p.m. ET, CBS) due to a concussion.
Had Brown been flagged for unnecessary roughness, the Patriots would've started the ensuing drive at their own 39. It ended with a Bailey Zappe interception that set the Giants up for what became Randy Bullock's game-winning field goal.
Saturday's verdict likely won't sit well with Douglas' teammates, some of whom called for Brown to be penalized and fined.
"They preach all this player safety stuff, but then that doesn't get flagged," cornerback Jabrill Peppers said in the immediate aftermath, per Michael Hurley of WBZ. "But I've been fined maybe two or three times for clean hits. So that (ticked) me off, too. (The officials) even looked up on the Jumbotron and saw it, and there was still no flag. But you can't say anything about the refs in this league. So it is what it is. But to me, that's a joke. You can't say you care about player safety and not flag that play."
Though it'll likely be of no consolation to the Patriots, two Giant defenders will be writing checks to the league: Carter Coughlin was charged $5,764 for a hit on Ty Montgomery during a kickoff return in the latter stages of the second half while Xavier McKinney lost $13,659 for unsportsmanlike conduct while celebrating Chad Ryland's missed field goal that sealed New England's fate.
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