Sean Payton's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty near the end of Thursday night's Saints-Falcons game is being reviewed by the NFL, ESPN reported Friday.
The Saints coach charged out on the field and angrily gestured and yelled at an official who had not seen him signaling for a timeout.
"I called a timeout, and then he asked me again, and I said I have already called a timeout," Payton said after the game. "I probably said it with a little more vigor than I was supposed to but I had enough. I have to be smarter than that."
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Payton noted his frustration with the officiating in the game, which the Falcons won 20-17. The Saints were flagged 11 times for 87 yards, while the Falcons were penalized four times for 35 yards.
"It was just one of those games. I have never seen anything like it," Payton said. "I have never been a part of a game like that and it is frustrating but our guys will bounce back."
The NFL could fine Payton for his action Thursday night.
Payton's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty wasn't his only questionable moment in the fourth quarter. Earlier, he made a choking gesture toward Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, an apparent reference to Atlanta's Super Bowl collapse.
Hey Sean Payton, what do the Saints do in the 4th quarter? pic.twitter.com/CtSjH2T6Td
— Matt (@FalcoholicMatt) December 8, 2017