There were two calls in the New England Patriots’ matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 16 that were deemed questionable by fans and analysts.
The first call came when Bills DE Jerry Hughes made contact with Mac Jones as he was running out of bounds. Initially, the referees called it an unnecessary roughness penalty and then they picked the flag up after discussion. Trent Brown was frustrated with the call and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty — creating a 30-yard swing against the Patriots.
Later in the game, Bills linebacker Matt Milano drew a penalty for a late hit on Jones. The penalty was offset because David Andrews, who was defending his quarterback, was flagged for a taunting penalty. Fans and analysts on Twitter lost their minds with this call.
Referee Shawn Smith explained both penalties following the game.
Pool report with referee Shawn Smith on why the penalty flag on Bills DE Jerry Hughes – who made contact with Patriots QB Mac Jones out of bounds – was picked up. (Also, David Andrews’ taunting penalty explained.) pic.twitter.com/h1kBY3cnDI
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 26, 2021
The Patriots lost possession of the AFC East and they have the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead as a redemption game.
