FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- In following up on the story of cornerback Darrelle Revis being late to Tuesday's practice (as initially reported by the Boston Globe) because he overslept, the conclusion I came to after speaking with multiple sources is this: Revis made a mistake, can probably expect to be fined by the team, as is normally the case in situations like these, and was ultimately accountable for his actions by personally meeting with coach Bill Belichick later in the day to apologize.

The Patriots have a hard-line rule, and this goes back 15 years under Belichick, that if a player is late he doesn't practice. That is just standard operating procedure, and Revis is hardly the first player to break that rule (albeit unintentionally).

I don't think this was anything about message-sending to the rest of the players. It was just maintaining the integrity of a rule that has always applied to everyone on the roster and is communicated regularly.

If Belichick lets it slide once, for anyone, his word loses its meaning and his standing as the leader of the team is compromised.

Being late and having the story come out publicly doesn't reflect well on Revis, but at the same time, Belichick himself often says, "No one makes more mistakes than me." That's why I think Belichick, while certainly displeased with Revis' missing practice, probably feels the accountability Revis has taken is what was necessary to move on with limited repercussions other than a fine.

I had wondered if Belichick might sit Revis for the start of Sunday's game against the Bears as part of discipline for being late -- somewhat similar to what we've seen in the past in other situations (e.g., Wes Welker) -- but I'd be a bit surprised if that happened at this point.