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Mike Vrabel refuses to blame officials after controversial calls in Patriots loss
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- Mike Vrabel refuses to blame officials after controversial calls in Patriots loss
The officiating in the NFL is never perfect, and following Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills , the Patriots clearly have some gripes with the way penalties were called .
Mike Vrabel’s team was penalized seven times for 65 yards, compared to the Bills being penalized twice for 15 yards. Two penalties aided Buffalo late in the fourth quarter during their comeback victory.
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After the game, both Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones expressed their displeasure with defensive pass interference calls that went against them. On Monday, however, Vrabel wanted to make sure that people knew the team wasn’t blaming the officiating for their loss.
“There’s nothing that we can do,” Vrabel said. “They see what they see. They call it the best that they can. I’m confident in that. We have to know what it is that they’re looking for to call penalties. They have mechanics that they are looking for, and we have to understand that, and we have to play to that. No more, no less. The officials or the penalties weren’t the reason we lost the game.”
The Patriots had an issue with multiple calls at 11:22 of the fourth quarter.
On the play, Josh Allen completed a 37-yard pass to Khalil Shakir while Jones was called for defensive pass interference. The replay showed Jones catching the ball and Shakir wrapping his arms around the cornerback when the ball was coming down. Despite that, the Bills receiver was awarded the catch.
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Even if Jones had a clear interception, the play would’ve been nullified due to the penalty. That call, however, came at a crucial time – on fourth-and-3. The Bills scored a touchdown three plays later to take their first lead.
Then, after the Patriots retook the lead, Davis was flagged for defensive pass interference at 8:19 of the fourth quarter when he made minimal contact with Keon Coleman on a third-and-4 incomplete pass. The penalty gave the Bills a first down, and they scored the game-winning touchdown three plays later. Afterward, Davis had an issue with how late the flag was thrown.
After the game, Vrabel said the same referee called both crucial penalties in a similar way.
“The same guy thought it was a penalty the same way,” Vrabel said. “So, it’s a judgment call. Whether I disagree with it or not doesn’t matter. He called it. That’s how this thing goes.”
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