Sheesh. New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor made a solid head-up tackle on New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger to get his defense off the field on third down, but it wasn’t meant to be — instead, referee Carl Cheffers’ officiating crew threw a penalty flag and said Taylor was committed unnecessary roughness by tackling Bellinger on the play.
It was a brutal penalty, and it’s tough to see what Taylor did that warranted the foul. But the play resulted in a big gain for the Giants, who drove downfield to kick a 40-yard field goal before halftime.
And fans weren’t happy. Neither were the Saints, with head coach Dennis Allen haranguing Cheffers and his crew through the next commercial break. Here’s what fans, media in attendance, former players and viewers on social media had to say about the play: