Giants' Tom Coughlin calls for NFL's response to Flozell Adams' shove
BY
Ralph Vacchiano
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, December 8th 2009, 4:00 AM
Sabo/News
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin expressed his concerns to Mike Pereira, NFL's director of officiating, Monday morning regarding the Flozell Adams shoving incident in Sunday's game.
The
NFL is reviewing what Dallas'
Flozell Adams did to
Justin Tuck just before halftime on Sunday.
Tom Coughlin thinks the NFL should review its own rules, too.
After Adams shoved Tuck to the ground just after the whistle blew on the final play before intermission, the
Cowboys' left tackle was assessed a 15-yard personal foul penalty. But because it occurred on the final play of a half, it was automatically declined, according to NFL rules.
That meant the Cowboys didn't lose 15 yards, even on the kickoff to open the second half. And since Adams - whom Tuck called "a dirtbag" and "a coward" after the game - wasn't ejected, his cheap-shot hit was essentially not penalized at all. "To not have some kind of immediate officiating response, there's something that needs to be addressed there," Coughlin said Monday. "There was no eviction, no penalty assessment, nothing."
Coughlin expressed his concerns to
Mike Pereira, the NFL's director of officiating, Monday morning. Pereira had already reviewed the play, and according to a league spokesman the NFL is conducting a "routine" disciplinary review, too. Adams has already been hit with $25,000 in fines this year, including $12,500 for separate incidents against Tuck and
Osi Umenyiora in the
Giants' win in Dallas in Week 2.
It's possible Adams could face a suspension this time. The league is expected to inform the Cowboys of its decision on that this afternoon.
Asked if he wanted Adams to be suspended, Coughlin said, "Well, that's not for me to decide. I think there's no place in our game for the act that he took."