New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman was mic’d up for the Divisional Round game against the Houston Texans and he chose one heckuva day to put post his most productive playoff game. Edelman collected 149 yards from scrimmage, the second-best day of his career overall- one game after picking up a career-best 157 yards from scrimmage against the Dolphins in the season finale.
Edelman’s success naturally drew the ire from the Texans bench, with Houston head coach Bill O’Brien complaining to the officials that Edelman “pushes off on every play!”
“Hey, you know, you got Edelman pushing off a lot,” O’Brien said to the line judge. “Edelman, pushing off a lot at the top of routes.”
“I’ll talk to the guys about that,” the official responded.
This interaction happened after Edelman totally pushed off on a big throw down the field, but Edelman wanted to defend his play to the officials.
“What I do?,” Edelman asked after an official pulled him aside.
“Earlier, on a play that went that way,” the official explained, “when you went that way, you shoved off a little too much. Okay?”
“But he engaged on me!,” Edelman said, voice raising. “If he engages on me, it says in the rule book that I can hit his arm off.”
“That’s right,” the official conceded.
“That’s what I did, I was like that,” Edelman said while moving his arm with a chopping motion.
“I didn’t throw a flag,” the official replied. “I’m just telling you you’re real close.”
“I get so defensive, I’m sorry,” Edelman apologized. “My therapist yells at me for that.”
Edelman went on to pick up chunk plays after chunk plays against the Texans, and there was nothing Houston could do in the second half. Even Bill O’Brien had to give up as he threw up his hands and cried, “That’s Edelman again!!”