The officiating in the New Orleans Saints-New England Patriots game on Sunday was a big storyline due to controversial and late calls throughout the four quarters.
An offensive pass interference call on Stefon Diggs negated a 61-yard touchdown pass from Drake Maye to Pop Douglas.
On the very next play, the Saints were called for a 21-yard defensive pass interference penalty.
A second questionable call on Diggs wiped out a long reception from the wide receiver.
“It becomes comical at a point,” coach Mike Vrabel said on WEEI on Monday.
The NFL’s officiating department sends a weekly video to all 32 teams that goes over controversial plays from the previous week. Vrabel said while Walt Anderson, officiating and rules analyst for the NFL, and head of officiating Ramon George, do a good job overall.
“Me and Stretch (John Streicher), we hang on to every word. And then I’ll see something during the game. I’m like, ‘Did they even watch the video?’ Me and Stretch are pausing it, rewinding it," Vrabel said. ”And then I’m like, ‘Hey, did you. Did you watch the video last week? Like, they talked about this exact thing."
Referee Adrian Hill explained after the game that his crew "ruled blocking downfield by number eight, early during the play. So, if there is a situation where a player blocks downfield, it’s not a foul until a pass is thrown, so you kind of put that in the bank. And then the pass was thrown downfield later, that created the offensive pass interference.”
Diggs, however, appeared to just be hand-fighting during the play. He’s hopeful the NFL will review the questionable calls.
“I don’t really be tripping, to be honest. I try my best to make plays and catch the ball when they come to me,” Diggs said after the game. “When I get (back) hopefully we can submit them to the league to see if it was supposed to be called or not. But I don’t cry over spilled milk.”
At the end of the day, the Patriots emerged victorious and didn’t let the penalties define the rest of the game.
New England now turns its focus to its Week 7 matchup against Vrabel’s former Tennessee Titans team as the Patriots go for a fourth straight win.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.