The New England Patriots looked like they were going to make a definitive statement about their status as viable contenders in the AFC. They stormed out to a 21-0 lead over the Buffalo Bills early in the game, and held a 24-7 lead at halftime. Disaster would follow from there.
The Patriots gave up 28 points in the second half as Josh Allen ran roughshod over the New England defense. The final result was a heartbreaking 35-31 loss that has the Patriots headed back to the drawing board and has cast some doubt about their viability. The team’s head coach had his take on the entire situation.
New England Patriots Cite Offensive Officiating
Mike Vrabel was unhappy with his team’s performance, but also had another bone to pick with the NFL following his team’s defeat.
Vrabel spoke after the game about some of the officiating issues that arose throughout the game. The Patriots were flagged for a questionable pass interference penalty that kept a Bills’ drive alive in the second half.
Facing a third-and-4, Allen’s pass to Keon Coleman fell incomplete, and the crowd celebrated. The celebration quickly turned to boos when a late flag came out, indicating that cornerback Carlton Davis interfered on the play.
“I mean, you can see how late the flag came out,” Davis said at his locker to New England media after the game.
He then added, “Like, if it’s a flag, it’s like definitive, you know, throw the flag. If it’s not a flag, in a close game like this, you got to let us play. You know what I’m saying? So just by seeing how late the flag came in, I think we’re all thinking the same thing.”
Davis spoke on the pass interference. Vrabel was more upset about something other than the calls that did not go his team’s way.
Coming into Sunday’s game, the Bills led the league in holding calls against their offense. As the Bills went into fastbreak mode in the second half, they needed to throw the ball to help erase a deficit.
With each dropback, the yellow hankies remained in the pockets of the officials. Vrabel was frustrated.
“The Bills lead the NFL in offensive holding,” He said. “That would be hard for me to understand how the team that is coming into the game leading, and that’s how they play, didn’t have one yesterday. That’s hard for me to understand.”
NFL officiating has been under fire all season, and Vrabel’s comments come on the heels of Packers’ coach Matt LaFleur lamenting the lack of holding calls against Green Bay’s star edge rusher, Micah Parsons.
As the importance of each game rises, that will likely continue to be a point of contention as the season progresses. Vrabel will not be the last coach to make comments once a game ends.
