Gibbs's Monday Press Conference

I am live blogging Joe Gibbs's Monday press conference. Although he is smart enough to avoid saying things that would antagonize officials and hurt the team in the next game and smart enough to avoid a fine by the league, he was more animated than I've ever heard him over bad calls.

Joe said that you have to overcome referee's calls, but that "we have a lot of things (on the film) that we are going to show the league to help them out." Joe said the "tuck" rule shouldn't have applied on Plummer's fumble/safety because it became a backwards lateral once the ball hit his non-throwing hand and went backwards.

Gibbs said there was absolutely no holding on Portis's 26-yard run that got called back and no offensive pass interference on Patten's touchdown that got called back.

Update: Gibbs just got angry at one question and yelled that "a lot of the stuff that was called was a mystery." He mentioned penalties that Denver committed weren't called, but other calls were made against the Redskins "that were a mystery." Again, it's the angriest I've ever heard him.

Gibbs cut the conference short because he said they had a long night and that they have a lot of work to do tonight to get ready for next week. Great coaches say the right things at the right time. Now that the Skins are a legitimate playoff contender, Gibbs is serving notice that he expects better treatment from the officials and he'll probably get it. He could have reacted this way a few times last year, but he was probably keeping his powder dry. Why waste your capital on a six-win season? Gibbs understands that you cannot antagonize, but that you also cannot let the league walk all over you.