No eye contact, no illegal contact.
Giants cornerback Adoree’ Jackson was penalized Sunday for a controversial 36-yard pass interference penalty that erased a third-down stop and turned momentum by setting up the Vikings to score a go-ahead touchdown in their 28-6 victory.
Was it a bad call? Should it actually have been offensive pass interference against receiver Jordan Addison, who seemed to initiate contact by jumping onto Jackson’s back to get to an underthrown pass by Sam Darnold?
“He knows it,” Jackson said. “When I say ‘he,’ the ref. That’s why he wouldn’t look at me, wouldn’t talk to me. You saw Addison almost pull my damn helmet off. I turned and looked for the ball. I can’t do anything about it.”
Jackson’s penalty — one of nine for 95 yards against the Giants — converted a third-and-8. Three plays later, the Vikings scored to take a 7-3 lead.
“The ref is sorry,” Jackson said. “He can hear me say that. He needs to be fined just like they fine us on different things. That was a BS call. He knows it. I wouldn’t look at me either if I knew I made a bad call.
“You heard the crowd reaction. You looked at the screen and saw it. So, he knows he made a bad call. And he threw it late. Come on.”
🚨🚨🚨AWFUL CALL:#NFL refs called us a defensive pass interference on #Giants Adoree Jackson, after the WR JUMPED ON HIM.
It should have been a offensive pass interference
WOW
pic.twitter.com/mjJJrjRvEz— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 8, 2024
The eight-year veteran cornerback was re-signed by the Giants after neither Cor’Dale Flott nor Nick McCloud convincingly won a training-camp battle to start. McCloud started in the spot Jackson occupied last season, but Jackson still played plenty, especially after McCloud (knee) left with a second-half knee injury.
Jackson didn’t sound too concerned about a fine coming out of his $97,222 game check on his $1.75 million salary.
“Popped for what? That’s facts,” Jackson said. “If they want to come at me for that, they need to do a little more fact [finding]. If we get a penalty and they don’t call it on the field, they still fine us. If they get mad at me for speaking the truth, then that should let you know about them.”
It was a predictably rough day for the secondary, which was one of the biggest preseason concerns and drew a tough Week 1 matchup against Addison and All-Pro Justin Jefferson. Darnold started 12-for-12 en route to a 208-yard performance.
McCloud couldn’t cut off the edge on Aaron Jones’ 3-yard touchdown run, Flott mistakenly tried to jump a route and allowed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Nailor and No. 1 cornerback Deonte Banks’ respectable job traveling with Jefferson was overshadowed by allowing a 3-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-down quick slant.
“I tried to push my hand in there and he caught it,” Banks said. “Good play by him. I really thought I got it out.”
Flott surprisingly shifted into the slot, where he played most of last season but didn’t take any snaps during training camp as he tried to win the job starting on the perimeter.
Rookie Dru Phillips forced a fumble on his first career NFL tackle, setting up good field position that turned into only a field goal.
