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Rhamondre Stevenson penalty draws ire of Patriots coach
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- Rhamondre Stevenson penalty draws ire of Patriots coach
FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots committed seven penalties that were accepted, costing them 75 yards of field position in Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills .
One other penalty that didn’t count due to it being off-setting - Rhamondre Stevenson’s third quarter matching unnecessary roughness flag with Buffalo’s Matt Milano - didn’t sit well with Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
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After Stevenson gained 16 yards on a pass play, there was a scuffle on the sideline where he went out of bounds. Words were exchanged. Milano was already getting a flag, but Stevenson’s lack of discipline in retaliating struck a nerve with Vrabel.
That cost the Patriots 15 yards and better field position. Stevenson’s gain on the first play from scrimmage - coming after a holding call on Marte Mapu negated a 47-yard kick return - put them on the 35. They could have been at midfield if Stevenson held his composure.
“That’s a bad decision. That’s what I told them in the moment,” Vrabel said during his Monday session with the media. “That’s what I’ll tell them again at 12:30 (today). There’s nothing else. It’s what it is.
“He made a good play, good positive play. I don’t think they did anything wrong. (Milano) hit them at the sideline, stood there and we made a bad decision.”
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The Bills had drawn to within three points (24-21) and that possession ultimately didn’t produce points.
Stevenson, who also spoke Monday, agreed with his coach. He took accountability.
“That was a dumb decision by me ultimately,” Stevenson said. “I can’t get any personal fouls. I was lucky it off-set. That could have been a big part of the game. I just gotta be disciplined and not do things like that.”
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