London Fletcher has every right to be angry about the 15-yard penalty he received for initiating contact with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Sunday.
Now in his 14th season, no one knows the rules of the game better than the veteran linebacker. Needless to say, the call by referee Jeff Triplette came as a surprise.
"(Brady) waited until the last minute to slide," Fletcher said, according to The Free Lance-Star. "He's considered a runner. At that point in time, the referee thought I hit him in the head. I didn't hit him in the head. I hit him in the shoulders, but what can you do?"
Triplette explained during the penalty call that Fletcher used a "forearm to the head of the quarterback as he started to slide." Replays clearly indicated that Fletcher's forearm connected with Brady's chest.
"You try to explain your situation, but they don't really listen to you that much," Fletcher said. "I think anybody who saw that definitely didn't think it was the right call, but hey."
While Fletcher was more diplomatic with postgame comments, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan didn't mince words.
"I thought it was horrible," Shanahan said, according to The Washington Times. "That's what I saw on the replay."
Add to that some very harsh comments from Santana Moss, and it's safe to say the Redskins won't be sending any Christmas cards to Sunday's game officials.
