Husain Abdullah was penalized for... praying?

Husain Abdullah was penalized for falling on his hands and knees and praying. That isn't okay, NFL.

During the Chiefs' destruction of the Patriots, Husain Abdullah picked off Tom Brady and scored, the second touchdown of his career. After scoring, he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, specifically excessive celebration.

This is the unsportsmanlike conduct/excessive celebration he was penalized for:

Abdullah, if you're unfamiliar, is a practicing Muslim. He fasts during Ramadan, even during NFL training camp, and missed the 2012 NFL season so he and his brother, former Broncos/Cardinals safety Hamza, could visit Mecca during the Hajj in October. This appears to be a moment of prayer.

The ref ruled this "unsportsmanlike conduct, going to the ground:"

And yes, that is a rule on the books. But the execution here seems off. Last year, former ref and NFL rules expert Mike Pereira pointed out last year that the intent of this rule was not to penalize this type of behavior:

you're not penalized for going to the ground to give praise after a TD

— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) November 25, 2013

What Husain Abdullah did was not unsportsmanlike. It was a brief, personal moment between himself and the higher power he believes in, almost exactly akin to the celebration Tim Tebow made famous and was widely celebrated for. The only differences are the positions of his knees and shoulders, the faith he belongs to, and whether or not the NFL's referee called a penalty.

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