Mike Vrabel Admits Swearing at Ref but Claims Official Was ‘a Little Sensitive’ After Costly Penalty 1
Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots have managed to secure another win by beating the Buffalo Bills with a score of 29-26. It was the second win of the season so far for them, and the first loss for the Bills. The victory brings the Patriots’ record to 2 wins and 2 losses in the 2026 NFL season.
While the game ended in a triumph for Vrabel’s players, he was involved in a controversial moment and addressed it after the game.
Mike Vrabel addresses penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct
During the second quarter of the game, Vrabel was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The flag came after a defensive holding call on cornerback Marcus Jones. On third-and-goal from the 16-yard line, Josh Allen’s pass fell incomplete, but the holding penalty awarded Buffalo an automatic first down.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel looks on during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Patriots 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Vrabel then left the coaching box, approached an official, and said the call was a “fucking terrible call,” according to referee Bill Vinovich’s postgame pool report. Video footage captured the moment when Vrabel made the comment, which has already gone viral on social media.
The additional yardage set up a Bills touchdown that tied the score at 14-14. It was a rare incident for a head coach to be assessed with a personal foul. Vrabel addressed the situation in his post-game press conference. He said, “I told him it was a terrible — I’m not going to say effing — call. I’ve said that 87 times since I’ve been a head coach. It was nothing derogatory. You’d have to ask him. I think he was a little sensitive.”
He further said that he received confirmation from vice president of football operations John Streicher that the holding call appeared incorrect before speaking to the official.
The Patriots head coach added, “I probably shouldn’t have swore, but I can tell you in my history of being on the sidelines as a head coach, I’ve said that. And I apologized to him. It was unfortunate and I have to be better in those moments.” The referee also explained his side of the story.
Referee speaks on Mike Vrabel controversial flag
Speaking after the game, the referee Vinovich explained that the language and leaving the box made the penalty automatic, stating there is typically no warning for such comments.
He said, “He was out of the box, came up to the official and said, “That was a f—–g terrible call.” He then added why he didn’t give a warning, “I don’t know how you’re going to give a warning. It’s not something that is going to happen twice. When you use language like that, it’s pretty much a given.”
It remains to be seen if further developments occur in this case. For now, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots will focus on the next game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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