WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden echoed Josh Norman’s complaints about penalty calls in the team’s 27-all tie against the Cincinnati Bengals, saying Monday that the star cornerback “probably” is targeted “a little bit” by officials.
Gruden said on a conference call with reporters that he disagreed with some of the flags thrown during Sunday’s game in London, which left Washington at 4-3-1 and last in the NFC East heading into its bye week.
The Redskins totaled 15 penalties — eight more than the Bengals — and Gruden said: “I think we gave them eight first downs via penalty. After watching the film … some of them were not very blatant, that’s for sure.”
Norman lashed out at field judge Brad Freeman after the game, saying, “I’m just going to be honest with you; I’m going to be straightforward: He was terrible. I feel like he should be reprimanded.”
Norman drew five flags, including four for illegal use of hands, while covering Bengals wideout A.J. Green.
“Some of the glancing hits to the facemask on A.J. Green, I just don’t understand them. There was no intent there to injure,” Gruden said. “It was absolutely just a glancing blow that had nothing to do with anything.”
Gruden also specifically questioned an offensive pass interference call against Redskins wideout Pierre Garcon in OT that wiped out a completion, and an earlier defensive holding call against substitute cornerback Quinton Dunbar.
On the Garcon penalty, Gruden said: “That’s not offensive PI in any realm whatsoever of the penalty that I know (as) offensive pass interference. There’s nothing Pierre did wrong. … Some of the penalties we can clean up; some of them we can’t do anything about.”
And here’s what he said about the Dunbar call in the end zone: “I don’t know what to teach them. He was jamming his guy and then Andy (Dalton) threw it over the guy’s head and threw it out of bounds, but they called holding.”
As for whether Norman needs to worry about being the focus of officials, Gruden replied: “Well, he can’t be any more targeted than he was yesterday, that’s for sure. … He had quite a few on him that … could have gone either way, quite frankly.”
Gruden continued: “As far as him being targeted, he probably is a little bit, but he’s going to have to deal with it.”
Notes: S Will Blackmon needs thumb surgery, but “they can cast it up and hopefully he’ll play,” Gruden said. On other injuries: TE Niles Paul was going to have an MRI to see the extent of his strained shoulder; WR DeSean Jackson did not get a concussion from a hit to the helmet, but “his whole body was banged up, so he didn’t go back in,” Gruden said; RT Morgan Moses sprained his ankle. … The Redskins announced that they were canceling a practice originally scheduled for Tuesday, which was going to be the team’s lone workout of this week. … Washington’s next game is against the visiting Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 13.
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