"It will be great to have Light out there, and I'm happy they came up with that ruling," Cassel said yesterday. "As a quarterback, you love your left tackle, especially Matt Light. He's such a great player."
Light was ejected with 7:08 remaining after Crowder got chippy with him on Gostkowski's field goal that made it 41-28. Crowder bull-rushed Light and pushed him into Gostkowski, continuing the action after the kick sailed through the uprights.
Light pulled Crowder's head down and ripped off his helmet. Crowder rose up in a spray of dreadlocks and retaliated by charging Light and taking a swipe at him. Light responded by grabbing a fistful of Crowder's locks, pulling his head down, and slamming three punches at his head, which, in effect, wound up costing Light $5,000 per pop.
He got bang for his buck.
There were concerns Light could be suspended for Sunday's game. Asked yesterday if he had any such concerns, Light said, "You know what, honestly, I think that matter is kind of a closed deal now. It was what it was. Obviously, I'm not happy with what my actions were and I don't think that was the way to go. In my mind, it's a closed deal now.
"They've made a decision on it and we're going to move forward and get ready to play a good Steelers team," he added. "I think that's where everybody's concentration should be right now, and that's definitely where mine is at this point."
The Patriots, though, dodged a bullet. Pass protection will be at a premium against Pittsburgh's fierce rush, led by outside linebackers James Harrison (12 sacks) and LaMarr Woodley (10 1/2 sacks).
"It's big," said guard Logan Mankins, Light's sidekick on the left side of the offensive line. "We need him. We're going up against the No. 1 defense in the league, with two pretty good pass rushers on their team and we're going to need all of our guys."
