Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct during Sunday’s loss to the Eagles when he did an impression of a dog urinating in the back of the end zone.
The penalty forced the Giants to kick off from their own 20-yard-line, which didn’t wind up hurting them all that much because Eagles tight end Zach Ertz lost a fumble on the next play. It was the second straight week that a Giants player was penalized for their celebration as tight end Evan Engram got flagged for grabbing his crotch after scoring in the Week Two loss to the Lions.
During a Monday appearance on PFT Live, Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh acknowledged that those penalties “put the team in a bad spot” and that players need to be aware of the “fine line” that exists despite the league’s relaxed rules for celebrations. Pugh also said Beckham “obviously knows he doesn’t want to put us in a bad position,” although Beckham’s own comments suggest that’s not first on his mind.
“We needed to make a play,” Beckham said, via NJ.com. “We’re down 14-0? We needed a spark. I don’t care if it’s from the 5-yard line on our side. It didn’t end up being detrimental, which is the main thing. When I get into the end zone, I’m going to do what I do to spark the team, and the consequences are going to be what they are.”
Coach Ben McAdoo didn’t have anything to say about Beckham’s penalty after the game, but he was seen talking to an animated Beckham on the sideline after the touchdown. It’s not the first time that Beckham has gotten penalties for on-field demonstrations and the reaction to them from the team has almost always been more critical when the team loses. With the Giants 0-3, that may make for another round of discussion about Beckham’s behavior in the coming days.