EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka alleged on Friday that Washington Redskins tackle Chris Samuels made a dirty play when he fell on the back of his ankle after being beaten on a pass rush on the final play of the NFL season opener.
Kiwanuka hurt his left ankle on the play. X-rays were negative, but the ankle was still sore on Friday, and so was Kiwanuka.
Replays showed that Kiwanuka beat Samuel to the outside on a pass rush and started moving toward Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell in the waning seconds of the Giants' 16-7 victory.
Samuels quickly turned and made a low lunging tackle, wrapping his arms around Kiwanuka's legs. His upper torso pinned Kiwanuka's left ankle.
"Honestly, I thought it was a dirty play," Kiwanuka said. "There's no question about it. He was definitely beat and instead of recovering or giving up, I don't know how many options you had, but I just don't think there is any place for that in the NFL."
Samuels was not in the Redskins locker room on Friday and was not immediately available for comment.
However, replays also showed Samuels wave his arms in a move that suggested that he was upset after the play. He stood over Kiwanuka as Giants trainers came on the field.
"Samuels, I spoke to him right after and he said it wasn't intentional and I will just leave that at that," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Friday.
Kiwanuka was upset, especially after missing the final six games of last season with a broken lower leg that also caused ligament damage to his ankle.
"I don't think there is any place for that in professional football," he said.
Kiwanuka also wasn't buying the idea that Samuels was trying to protect his quarterback.
"That doesn't matter. Honestly, you take hits," Kiwanuka said. "I took a big hit during the game and at this level, this is something that happens. Even the greatest players get knocked down. You have to stand back up, be a man and line up for the next snap. Something like that, I would never do it, having been out for the end of last season I know how valuable these games are. I would never do it to anybody, and I wouldn't expect anyone to do it to me."
Drafted in the first round in 2006 as a defensive end, Kiwanuka has a big role this season in the wake of the season-ending knee injury to Pro Bowler Osi Umenyiora. It forced Coughlin to switch him back from linebacker to end a couple of weeks ago.
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