The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played the part of aggressors in that infamous final kneel-down at the Meadowlands last Sunday, but the New York Giants are the ones paying the price.
The NFL fined offensive linemen David Baas and Kevin Boothe $7,875 apiece for unnecessary roughness in connection to their reactions to the final play of the Giants' 41-34 win.
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No Bucs players were fined for the skirmish, which occurred after Giants quarterback Eli Manning was knocked to the ground while attempting a game-ending kneel. Manning said later in the week that he told Bucs players a kneel was coming, standard procedure that lets both sides know not to "fire off" at the snap.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin confronted Bucs counterpart Greg Schiano after the game about the blitz, which several New York players called dirty.
In total, four Giants players were fined for their actions last Sunday, according to The Associated Press. Safety Kenny Phillips was fined $30,000 for striking defenseless Bucs wide receiver Vincent Jackson on a pass play, although no penalty flag was thrown. Running back Andre Brown was fined $15,750 for a horse-collar tackle on Brandon McDonald during an interception return.
As for Schiano, the kneel-down incident now dovetails neatly with Friday's Michael Silver report on his reputation as a bully in scouting circles. Could the NFL finally have its very own Bud Kilmer?
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
