As Giants’ offense fizzles vs. Commanders, Jon Feliciano blasts officials for critical flag: ‘You’re playing two teams’
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Jon Feliciano didn’t mince words, and his message was clear: He thinks the officials got a critical penalty on him wrong — and screwed the Giants in Sunday’s 20-20 tie with Washington.
Feliciano, the Giants’ center, drew a 15-yard taunting flag with about 6:20 left in regulation, when the Giants led 20-13. Darius Slayton’s 12-yard catch had just given the Giants first down at Washington’s 35-yard line. The Giants were in great position to get at least a field goal, as they tried to seal the win.
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Feliciano ran toward the sideline to celebrate with Slayton. Feliciano flexed his muscles in Slayton’s direction, as if to tell Slayton: “Strong play.”
But officials interpreted that as Feliciano taunting the Commanders’ defense. So the Giants were moved back to midfield. Three lackluster plays later, they punted from Washington’s 49.
On the Commanders’ next drive, they drove 90 yards for a touchdown and tied the game. It was a brutal turn of events for the Giants, who are battling the Commanders for NFC wild-card playoff position.
The Giants are now 7-4-1, while the Commanders are 7-5-1.
The Giants — whose offense was a mess in Sunday’s second half — could’ve gained some breathing room by beating the Commanders. Instead, with five games left in the regular season, things remain tight.
After the game, Feliciano was still stunned that he got flagged.
“Slay had six guys on him, and he runs them out of bounds,” Feliciano said. “I tried to celebrate with my teammate. Flag. I didn’t look at anybody else. I was looking straight at Slay.”
Feliciano, an eighth-year pro in his first season with the Giants, said that was “not at all” taunting. He also said the officials did not explain the penalty to him.
Did he ask for an explanation?
“Hell yeah,” Feliciano said.
And how did he ask?
“I cursed him out,” Feliciano said.
Daboll berated Feliciano on the sideline. But after the game, Daboll said he saw the moment how Feliciano did — that he was just flexing at Slayton. Still, Daboll wasn’t fully pleased by Feliciano’s actions.
“Obviously, we shouldn’t even be in that situation,” Daboll said.
Feliciano didn’t stop with just cursing out an official on the field. When asked afterward about the general emotions of the game, Feliciano blasted the officiating again.
“It sucked,” he said of the game’s emotions, before veering into the topic of officiating. “Especially when you’re playing two teams. That’ll probably get me fined.”
Feliciano said Daboll “had the right to be” mad at him on the sideline.
“I’m mad, too,” Feliciano said.
Mad at himself or mad at the officials?
“I’m not trying to get fined more,” he said. “[The NFL] likes to take money out of players’ pockets, especially when stuff like this happens. So the less I say, the better.”
He had already said plenty.
Even separate from Feliciano’s penalty, the Giants’ offense let the team down in Sunday’s second half. The Giants gained just 316 yards Sunday, including 112 in the second half and overtime.
The Giants got a 20-yard touchdown drive to open the second half — and went up 20-13 — after regaining possession via a fumble. Other than that, the Giants’ second half drives netted 9, minus-5, minus-2, zero, and minus-1 yards.
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It’s hard to imagine the Giants clinching a playoff berth if their offense puts together second-half showings like that the next three weeks against the Eagles, Commanders, and Vikings.
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Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com.
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New York Giants guard Jon Feliciano (76) loosens up during pregame warmups as the Giants prepare to host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, September 18, 2022 in East Rutherford, N.J.
© Andrew Mills/nj.com/TNS