CLEVELAND — With eight minutes remaining in the Cleveland Browns' 31-15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, cameras caught Odell Beckham Jr. in a heated exchange with head coach Freddie Kitchens.
The exchange -- which marked Kitchens' second confrontation in as many weeks with one of his star wide receivers -- led to speculation about sparked it, especially considering that it occurred moments after Beckham caught a 3-yard touchdown pass. According to the 3-time Pro Bowl receiver, however, the back-and-forth had nothing to do with Kitchens' playcalling or the ensuing failed 2-point conversion attempt, but rather Beckham's post-touchdown celebration.
"We were just talking," Beckham said of the interaction.
About what?
"The refs making calls," Beckham said. "Basically, they were warning me that if I had one more personal foul, then I would be out of the game, which I thought was pretty stupid. I got a personal foul for a celebration I've done all year. It's not like a player was in front of me or anybody was. It was very unintentional. It is what it is."
The personal foul Beckham was referring to came in the first quarter of the contest when a 15-yard taunting penalty negated what would have been a 22-yard reception. The flag thrown on the 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year came as the result of a Little Rascals-like salute, which is a celebration Beckham has been performing throughout the season.
Putting two and two together, it appears Beckham's frustration may have come from a warning after his touchdown celebration -- which consisted of a dance that he wasn't flagged for -- that his next personal foul could lead to an ejection. Kitchens, for what it's worth, also downplayed the incident, stating that the back and forth stemmed Beckham's frustration over something that had happened between himself and one of the Ravens.
"I think it was something dealing with one of their guys. It wasn't the [2-point conversion] call," Kitchens said. "I don't think it was a big deal. There was some frustration on how they were treating him."