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Saints’ Jimmy Graham On Hail Mary: It Wasn’t a Push Off

Nov 9, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (80) catches the ball in front of San Francisco 49ers strong safety Antoine Bethea (41) and cornerback Tramaine Brock (26) the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 49ers won 27-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (80) catches the ball in front of San Francisco 49ers strong safety Antoine Bethea (41) and cornerback Tramaine Brock (26) the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 49ers won 27-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham bemoaned the pass interference call that nullified a last-second Hail Mary touchdown that would have pre-empted overtime.

The New Orleans Saints lost in overtime to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 only after a thrilling Hail Mary pass from Drew Brees to Jimmy Graham was called back for offensive pass interference, with the claim being that Graham pushed off on 49ers defensive back Perrish Cox. Graham emphatically refuted the call after the game, citing a double standard and a touch of acting prowess along the way.

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“It was definitely not a push-off,” Graham said, per the Times-Picayune. “I’m running down the field telling myself, ‘Whatever you do, don’t push off.’ It’s interesting how guys grab me everywhere on the field and I put literally two fingers on somebody and they make that kind of call.”

“That’s why I left basketball,” he added.

In fairness, Graham didn’t literally put two fingers on Cox. He put a hand on him, but beyond that it’s hard to tell where the push ends and the dive begins. Graham said he approached the end zone expecting a figurative war, given the history of calls made on Hail Mary passes in the NFL, which is about as extensive as the list of Graham’s goal post dunks this regular season.

“The general consensus is, you go down there, you can kick somebody in the chest and go up there and get it and you’ll be fine,” Graham said. “But apparently not.”

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