DAVE SKRETTA, AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The NFL says Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah should not have been penalized for dropping to his knees in prayer in the end zone after an interception.

NFL spokesman Michael Signora writes in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday that “the officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression.

Signora says “there should have been no penalty on the play.”

The flag thrown in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 41-14 victory over New England on Monday night touched off a firestorm on social media, with many wondering how it was different from players dropping to one knee in Christian prayer.