"Among the biggest problems with the Patriots' Week 15 loss to the Bills, a side from blowing a 21-point halftime lead, was the officiating. Although it's never ideal to discuss how referees may have impacted a game one way or the other, it's sometimes too big a story to ignore, and that is partly the case with this loss. Beyond the questionable pass interference calls, one of which took away an obvious interception by Marcus Jones, there was also a noticeable lack of penalties on the Bills."
"By the end of the game, the Patriots had seven accepted penalties for a loss of 65 yards, while the Bills were only slapped with two flags for a loss of 15 yards. Vrabel was quick to point out the inconsistency across the board, and it is surely a point that Patriots fans will agree with. The Bills lead the NFL in holding calls, but weren't flagged once for it in the game, despite obvious instances of Patriots players being held."
Patriots players and coaches cited officiating as a major factor in the Week 15 loss to the Bills, pointing to inconsistent calls and missed penalties. Questionable pass interference rulings included one that negated an obvious Marcus Jones interception. Statistically, the Patriots incurred seven accepted penalties for 65 yards while the Bills drew only two flags for 15 yards, highlighting a disparity. Mike Vrabel publicly criticized the inconsistency and noted that Buffalo leads the league in holding calls yet was not penalized for them in the game. The uneven enforcement of rules influenced field position and momentum, affecting the game's outcome.
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