WASHINGTON — Redskins defensive end Jason Hatcher was noticeably distraught after Sunday’s 44-16 loss to the Carolina Panthers Sunday.

Hatcher’s frustration was not with Washington’s performance, however, but with what he believed to be personal bias exhibited by the referees against the Redskins.

Hatcher sounded off after the game (transcription according to video courtesy of CSN Mid-Atlantic):

“We’ve just got to check ourselves, everybody’s got to look themselves in the mirror,” he said. “This is a team sport. We lost as a team. Everybody’s got to get theirself together, get mentally and physically tougher, so we can go in here and win.

“It’s going to be hard. We’re fighting against teams and the referees. It just is what it is. I’m not saying it out of character to get fined, but it is what it is. I don’t know if it’s about the name or what, but at the same time we play football, too, we work our butt off, too. Don’t single us out.

“At the end of the day, it’s the name. Don’t worry about the name. We’re players and we work our butt off, too. So I’m just frustrated with it. I’m frustrated with it. We shouldn’t have to be punished for that. It’s been every game, just calls after calls should have been made in our favor but it goes to them.”

One penalty in particular — of the nine total called against the Redskins (eight were called against Carolina) — appeared to shift the flow of the game.

With Carolina driving from Washington’s 26-yard line, and the game tied at 14 four minutes into the second quarter, Cam Newton threw a short pass intended for tight end Greg Olsen. Redskins cornerback Chris Culliver met Olsen as he caught the pass, forcing the ball into the air, which he then intercepted and returned 75 yards for a touchdown and a 20-14 Redskins lead.

The play was called back, however, after referees charged Culliver with unnecessary roughness for hitting Olsen near the head/neck area while attempting to disrupt the pass.

Carolina scored a touchdown in their renewed drive to take a 21-14 lead. The Redskins’ only other score came on a fourth quarter safety with the game well out of reach.

“It’s just not right,” Hatcher said. “We’re in the league, too. We are National Football players. We’ve got a team, too. We go out there and we sweat and we work hard, too. I don’t give a crap about the name. We are players and we’ve got feelings, too. And we want to win, too.”

Hatcher Doubles Down: We’re done being ‘slaves to this league’

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