New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had some questions about officiating after a 35-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills kept his team from clinching the AFC East on Sunday afternoon.
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According to Vrabel, he saw a lack of holding penalties called against the Bills' offense, marking a change from what had been a trend this season.
"They do have a difficult job," Vrabel said about the officiating crew during an appearance on "The Greg Hill Show" on Monday. "The consistency — sometimes I struggle with it.
"I'll say this — the Bills lead the NFL in offensive holds, and I'll leave it at that. That would be hard for me to understand — how a team coming into the game leading, and that's how they play, didn't have one yesterday. So that's hard for me to understand."
The game took place at the Patriots' home stadium, a fact that could potentially lead opposing fans to worry about "favoritism." However, the stat sheet showed a stark difference in terms of penalties.
The officiating crew called the Bills for two penalties during the high-scoring shootout. They called the Patriots for seven penalties, including pass interference on Marcus Jones as he and Bills receiver Khalil Shakir wrestled for a pass downfield.
This factored into the outcome of the game and Bills quarterback Josh Allen's ability to lead a comeback from a 21-0 deficit. The defending MVP threw for three touchdowns and rushed for 48 yards while helping keep offensive drives alive.
Questions about officiating aside, Vrabel can move forward with the knowledge that his team still remains in control of the AFC East. The Patriots have an 11-3 record heading into the final three games of the regular season.
If they get back to their winning ways, they will still finish ahead of the Bills. The final three games for Vrabel's team will come against the Ravens, Jets, and Dolphins.
