Tom Coughlin says Damontre Moore needs to play out of reputation as 'penalty guy'
Ryan Mathews #24 of the Philadelphia Eagles is tackled by Damontre Moore #98 of the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 19, 2015 in Philadelphia. Credit: Getty Images / Rich Schultz
Damontre Moore has been flagged for roughing the passer in each of his last three games. The first one was an egregious foul against the Eagles that resulted in his being benched the following week. The last two? Tom Coughlin seems to think they were more the result of reputation than actual penalties.
"You've got to play your way out of that, the idea that you're a penalty guy," Coughlin said. "That's what he's confronted with. The problem is that it doesn't always get called the way you're seeing it with him. In other words, it may or may not be a foul, it's that close. But you have to make sure he understands it's because of the fact that he has a record of this that it's being called so close. So he's got to change."
Coughlin said knowledge of the rules is the key, along with not giving officials any reason to throw the flags.
"You can't use the top of your helmet, you can't use the helmet as some kind of spear, you can't take the quarterback low," Coughlin said. "All of those things."
The penalty against the Bucs was the iffiest of the three recent ones. Coughlin said he didn't think Moore came in low on Jameis Winston. Nor was it a matter of timing. "I don't think it was that late the other day, to be honest with you," he said.
Some players have been able to overcome such reputations. Safety Brandon Meriweather came to the Giants with a reputation for flaunting the rules and leveling illegal hits in the secondary. So far this season he has only been flagged once, and that was against the Bucs as well for a hit on a blocker that likely should have been allowed while the ball was still live.
Perhaps that penalty was a remnant of Meriweather's previous persona. One that Moore now seems to have been labeled with, rightly or wrongly.
Ultimately, Coughlin said, the responsibility to end the flag trend falls to Moore.
"Obviously, there's something he's doing," Coughlin said.
And some things he shouldn't be.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
