NASHVILLE, TENN. (AP) - Titans defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil expressed his anger at officials during Tennessee’s game with Denver with an obscene gesture Sunday.
Television cameras caught Cecil using his right hand to make the gesture when officials flagged his defense for a neutral zone infraction during the second quarter. The penalty gave Denver first-and-goal, and Kyle Orton tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass on the next play for a 7-0 lead.
Cecil declined comment after the game, a 26-20 loss by the Titans despite a season-high six sacks. But they also finished the game flagged 10 times for a season-high 111 yards.
Last year, Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 by the NFL for making the same gesture. Adams made the gesture repeatedly from his owner’s box and on the field celebrating a win over Buffalo in November.
Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan didn’t see Cecil’s gesture but called it awesome.
“I’ll let him answer how he feels about that. He’s an emotional guy. We rally behind him, and he’s been great to us. We’ve got to go out and execute his game plan and fly around. You’ve seen that the first four games. We respect him, and we thank him for that,” Finnegan said.
If Cecil is fined, Finnegan expects his teammates will help out their coordinator.
“I know all the guys won’t mind chipping in for our defensive coordinator,” Finnegan said.
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