Referee: “Appropriate” to pick up flag on 2-point conversion

When a flag was thrown for apparent defensive pass interference by Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the game-deciding two-point conversion try with 28 seconds remaining, the New York Giants thought they were going to get a second chance to tie Monday’s game.

Instead, after a lengthy conference officials chose to pick up the flag. That doomed the Giants to a 25-23 loss that dropped them to 1-7.

Giants coach Joe Judge said he thought the “right call” was made when the flag was thrown.

“I’m not sure why it got picked up,” Judge said. “We had a pretty clear view of that ... Normally your first instinct is the right one. That’s all I’m going to say about the officiating.”

Referee Brad Rogers explained the decision to a pool reporter.

“The side judge had the flag thrown on the play and came to the down judge who was on that side of the goal line. The communication between the side judge and the down judge was that the defender contacted the receiver simultaneously as the ball came in,” Rogers said. “And in order to have defensive pass interference, it has to be clearly early and hinder the receiver’s ability to make the catch.

“You want to make sure that it meets the qualifications for pass interference. And in our communication on the field, the down judge and the side judge communicated about the action and believed that it was appropriate to pick that flag up.”

Quarterback Daniel Jones said he “thought it was pass interference and was surprised when they picked it [the flag] up ... tough break.”