Odell Beckham should've been ejected, VP of officiating says

NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino is the latest person to opine that New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. should've been ejected during Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers.

Beckham was engaged in a contentious battle against Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman, at one point headbutting the Panthers star.

Blandino criticized referee Terry McAulay and his crew Tuesday for failing to take appropriate action.

"The crew was doing a really tough job of trying to keep the game under control," Blandino said, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "They had spoken to both head coaches. They had spoken to the players. There was a point during the game when I did get on the headset to the replay official to remind the referee that, 'You can eject players. You'll have our full support. This thing cannot get out of control.'"

The Giants wideout was suspended for one game, but will appeal the sanction Wednesday.

Beckham and Norman clashed from the first play of the game, and Blandino said the referees could've set the tone for the contest with penalties early.

"For me, looking at the tape, there were two or three opportunities early in the game to throw a flag and set the tone," Blandino said. "We always want to set the tone early. Not make something up, but when something rises to the level of unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct, we can't miss those opportunities, because that sets the tone of the entire game. There were a couple there that we missed early on."