Mathias Kiwanuka refused to criticize the officials — no matter how many times and different ways he was asked about his questionable roughing-the-passer penalty on Tony Romo Sunday night.
The Giants outside linebacker/defensive end, however, had no problem ripping himself after committing two of the Giants’ 11 penalties, both 15-yard blunders for late hits in the Giants’ 24-21 loss to the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.
“Personally, there was definitely a lack of self-control,” he said after the Giants’ four-game win streak was snapped. “I got to be able to keep my head as long as the game is going on.”
His late hit on Romo cost the Giants seven precious points. Midway through the third quarter, Dallas was in Giants territory when Romo completed a pass to Cole Beasley, who fumbled, as the ball was recovered by Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas. Kiwanuka, however, was called for roughing Romo, as his right arm wrapped around Romo’s chest and his left arm came around the quarterback’s neck moments after the Cowboys quarterback released the pass. Kiwanuka did seem to pull up before Romo went down.
Four plays later, Romo hit tight end Jason Witten for the second of two touchdowns, a 2-yard scoring strike that extended Dallas’ lead to 21-6.
“It’s how they’re officiating the game these days,” said Kiwanuka, who was also flagged later in the quarter. “It’s not something we can control. As defenders, the guys who’ve been around the league for a while, we’ve seen the change. We have to be able to make that adjustment.”
“I felt like I pulled up on him. The refs saw it a different way.”
In an ironic twist, seven years ago — when Kiwanuka was a rookie — he famously let Titans quarterback Vince Young go after wrapping him up in the fourth quarter of Tennessee’s come-from-behind victory because he didn’t want to draw a penalty and he thought the ball was gone. That approach would have worked for him better Sunday.
During the week leading up to a game, Kiwanuka said he focuses on where he can and can’t hit the quarterback. But on game days, he tries to put it out of his mind.
“When you go out on Sunday, as long as you’re not intentionally trying to do anything dirty, you have to let the game come to you,” he said. “There are going to be calls that are made you’re not going to agree with, but if you go out there and focus or try to hit him within one area, it’s going to slow you down as a defender. I have to be conscious of the fact that’s the way the game is called now and that’s going to hurt our team, and to try to do a better job during the week of figuring out where I can or can’t hit the quarterback.”