The NFL made it a penalty to dunk the ball over the crossbar after a touchdown this season, a move that seemed to rob Saints tight end Jimmy Graham of his signature move.
Graham didn’t let it stop him on Friday night, though. Graham caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Luke McCown to cap the Saints’ first drive of their contest against the Titans and then got cheers from the Superdome crowd as he dunked the ball in celebration.
Graham, who tweeted that he’d lead the league in penalties this year when the rule was adopted, was promptly flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and will likely be fined by the league.
Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune was watching the Saints sideline as Graham came off the field and reports that coach Sean Payton didn’t say a word to the tight end as he went by. Unless he’s cut from a different breed than most coaches, though, he’s not going to be crazy about giving up 15 yards on kickoffs once the games start counting.