Santana Moss ejection explained by referee Jeff Triplette

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- There is no question that the course of Sunday's game between the New York Giants and Washington Redskins changed on the final play of the first half, when a Robert Griffin touchdown run turned into a harmless -- for the Giants -- fumble for a touchback.

The play turned what would have been a 17-7 Washington halftime lead into a 10-7 lead. It resulted in the ejection of Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss. It resulted in 30 penalty yards that allowed the Giants to try an onside kick at the start of the second half, which they recovered and turned into a field goal.

Thus, rather than getting the ball to start the second half leading by 10, the Redskins were in a 10-10 tie the first time they got the ball.

Took Jeff Triplette 3 times to throw his flag LOL!!! https://t.co/NKRQGk7kF1

— Danny (@recordsANDradio) December 14, 2014

Here is how referee Jeff Triplette explained the ejection:

"First we had an unsportsmanlike. The players' language and pointing at the official was the unsportsmanlike. Then a second act took place with another official. Language, very, very inappropriate language that was derogatory towards the official. That precipitated the disqualification," said Triplette via a transcript distributed by the Giants. "It was our field judge, Alex Kemp. The first one was directed at me with the language and the point. Probably everybody saw that. Then the second one, when he got them away it was a second group of inappropriate language, derogatory, directed at the official specifically."

"I let my emotions get the best of me, you know. I've been around this league for a long time, I know better. I know what I can and what I cannot do," Moss said after the game. "I saw a touchdown. A lot of people from outside, since I've been sitting here this whole half, they say that they saw something different and they saw a juggle of the ball, or whatever, but I didn't see it. You can't see it, you're on the field, you just see a touchdown and I was excited, man, and when I saw the call overturned-it only happens to us. It feels like every time we do something good, something bad comes out of it and it's only been happening to us. It's been 10 years of this, so I just got carried away and I let that get the best of me and I know better and I have to do better."