Julian Edelman didn’t hold back after the Patriots’ 29-26 win over the Bills on Sunday, taking to X to question the officiating in a game that had more than a few heated moments.
“Officiating today has been suspect,” Edelman, the former New England standout who now works as a studio analyst for Fox NFL Kickoff, wrote.
He didn’t point to one specific call, but there was no shortage of plays that drew attention. A potential illegal hands-to-the-face penalty would have gone against Buffalo and helped New England, while a possible intentional grounding call on Josh Allen never materialized.
The biggest flashpoint came when Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after he told an official that a defensive holding call on cornerback Marcus Jones was a “terrible call.”
That flag mattered. The holding penalty had already given Buffalo a fresh set of downs at the 11-yard line, and Vrabel’s penalty moved the ball even closer. Three plays later, Allen finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14-14.
The game was still choppy from there. Drake Maye was intercepted in the final seconds of the first half, and Buffalo turned that into a 27-yard Tyler Bass field goal to go into halftime up 17-14. Maye was 8 of 15 for 111 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the opening half.
The officiating crew also came into the day under a microscope. Bill Vinovich was the lead official, and his crew had already drawn criticism last week after a controversial Sunday night matchup between the Rams and Broncos, when a defensive pass interference call on Los Angeles during Denver’s final drive helped decide the game. NBC’s rules analyst couldn’t defend the flag.
Per NFLPenalties.com, Vinovich’s crew has worked two games this season and is near the bottom of the league in penalties called. Through three games, the Patriots had been flagged 22 times for 149 yards.
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