Saints cornerback Sterling Moore was flagged for defensive pass interference twice in Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Giants and he was covering wide receiver Odell Beckham on both of those plays.
The second of those calls handed the Giants a first down on their way to a game-winning field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter, so it’s no surprise to hear Moore take issue with the way the officials called things during the game. His issue is less with the calls made against him than on the lack of calls against Beckham.
Moore said that he feels Beckham gets away with contact against defenders, calling it a “staple on those deep balls,” and spoke to members of the officiating crew about it without getting any satisfaction.
“They obviously brushed it off,” Moore said, via Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. “It’s something he gets away with pretty regularly. I guess it’s something you’ve got to live with. ... It didn’t surprise me that he was doing it. But it surprised me that they were letting him do it and were letting us go out there and play. I guess that’s how it’s going to be.”
Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro took a similar point of view, saying “that’s just the way it is” when asked whether Beckham should have been penalized. We’ll see if future games bring any flags for offensive pass interference and it’s a safe bet that officials will be watching Beckham closely during this week’s matchup with Josh Norman after things boiled over between them last season.