Bills Safety Stands By Criticism Of NFL Officials' Fist Bump
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Bills safety Aaron Williams isn't backing away from his criticism of NFL officials, and doesn't care if he's disciplined by the league.
"I don't care if I do get fined," Williams told The Associated Press on Monday. "I speak the way I feel, and that's the way I feel."
Williams took issue with a fist bump between two officials after Denver running back C.J. Anderson scored his second of three touchdowns in the Broncos 24-17 win on Sunday.
After the game, Williams expressed his displeasure on Twitter, by accusing the officials of teaming up with the Broncos.
Williams was referring to the number of on-field officials, though there are actually seven and not five at NFL games.
The league had no problem with the gesture, which came after line judge John Hussey and umpire Carl Paganelli consulted to determine whether Anderson had crossed the goal line before his knee was down.
"It was an acknowledgement of good mechanics between the two officials involved in making the call," NFL spokesman Michael Signora said.
The loss was a costly one for the Bills (7-6), who fell to the fringes of a tightly jumbled AFC playoff picture. As a result of tie-breaking formulas, Buffalo ranks 11th in the standings with three games left.
The Bills host Green Bay on Sunday.
Williams wasn't the only Bills player to complain about the officiating or the fist bump immediately following the game and on Monday.
Cornerback Corey Graham took a more diplomatic approach by saying the officials' celebration wasn't a "good look," but he understood what prompted it.
"I saw it. I don't think it was nothing crazy as far as 'Happy that they scored a touchdown,'" Graham said Monday. "It was more of probably just, 'We got that one right.'"
The Bills took issue with several calls they felt didn't go their way.
Cornerback Nickell Robey was penalized for illegal contact after quarterback Peyton Manning missed on a pass to Wes Welker in the end zone on third and 6 at the Bills 19. Replays were inconclusive as to whether Robey interfered with Welker during his route.
Two plays later, the Broncos opened the scoring on Anderson's 6-yard run.
Following the game, Robey took exception in a note posted on his Twitter account.
Robey didn't make himself available to reporters on Monday.
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