During the San Francisco 49ers’ 20-9 win against the Carolina Panthers, things went sideways fast. Panthers’ safety Tre’von Moehrig and Niners’ receiver Jauan Jennings got into an altercation. Cameras caught the tension. And now the league has stepped in, too. The NFL finally made its punishment call on Jennings.

The league dropped its Gameday Accountability report on November 29. Jennings showed up on the list, and not for a highlight. The NFL fined him $12,172 for what it labeled unnecessary roughness. Moreover, it tied the decision directly to the fourth-quarter scuffle at the thirty-seven-second mark. That moment fell under the category that deals with striking, kicking, tripping, and kneeling.

However, the Niners wideout will suit up in Week 13 when the Faithful watch the team face the Browns. However, the NFL didn’t give him a suspension, and that choice stood out because Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch faced harsher treatment for something the league viewed as similar.

Branch received a suspension after he hit Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in a comparable moment earlier this season at Arrowhead Stadium. The difference seems to come down to why Jennings reacted. Minutes before the punch, Moehrig hit him with a shot to the groin. That cheap shot created a clear retaliation element that the league noted while deciding on discipline.

One more detail helped Jennings. Moehrig looked like he knew payback was coming. The Panthers’ safety braced for contact as Jennings closed in, almost as if he expected a response for what had happened earlier. However, Moehrig wasn’t so lucky.

Unlike Jauan Jennings, Tre’von Moehrig got suspended

While the league fined Jauan Jennings, the NFL came down harder on Tre’von Moehrig. The Panthers’ safety received the heavier hit for starting the whole mess. The NFL called his groin shot the more serious act. They announced that Carolina’s safety has been suspended for one game for the incident.

Interestingly, Moehrig tried to fight it. He appealed the suspension, but the league upheld it Wednesday night. Now he will sit out Carolina’s matchup with the Rams at Bank of America Stadium in the Queen City. The officials never caught the blow during the game, and that miss probably shaped how the league handled both players later.

The tape ended up telling the full story. After the review, the league saw the hit that triggered Jennings’ response. That clip sealed Moehrig’s fate. Without him, the Panthers might face a long Sunday against a Rams squad that loves to stretch the field.

The Cardiac Cats need every defensive piece they can get. The secondary took more hits this week. Star cornerback Jaycee Horn, who picked off Brock Purdy twice on Monday, entered concussion protocol. Backup cornerback Corey Thornton broke his left fibula and needs season-ending surgery.

Do you think this Panthers’ team will be able to put the brakes on the high-riding Rams this week?