Patriots HC Calls Out Refs After Loss

While it wasn't the reason the New England Patriots dropped their Week 3 battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the amount of flags that were called on them certainly didn't help their chances.

The Patriots were flagged on three separate occasions on drive-extending plays, something that swung the momentum in the direction of the visitors — the same visitors that waltzed out of Gillette Stadium with the 21-14 win.

And head coach Mike Vrabel certainly didn't agree with one of the calls made on the field by the officiating crew. The drive that followed Patriots tight end Hunter Henry's touchdown, the Steelers tried to push the ball down the field. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed DK Metcalf by a couple of yards and sailed the pass out-of-bounds. Instead, playing sticky coverage, Carlton Davis was called for a defensive pass interference.

Speaking with WEEI's Greg Hill this week, Vrabel made it known he didn't approve of the call.

"Carlton, I thought he played good technique, good defense, and looking and playing the football, and she chose to throw a penalty, and maybe we can agree or disagree, but we move on," Vrabel said, referring to field judge Karina Tovar. "I’ve heard they use that big white stripe, that if it lands outside of that, maybe it was uncatchable, but they didn’t see it that way."

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones (77) react after a touchdown during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Davis wasn't the only Patriots cornerback to be penalized in the loss. Alex Austin was on the receiving end of two bad calls in the first half, leading to what soon became touchdowns for Pittsburgh.

Now, penalties across the board are almost unavoidable for an NFL team and Vrabel knows that. It's just limited the amount (and the times when they occur) that are crucial.

"It’s the ones that are third downs. Not all penalties are created equal," Vrabel said. "Certainly, the ones that are critical that extend drives or give them the ball, the technical errors, I think that you can be going hard and playing hard and have a mistake and jump offside. The technique that doesn’t get fixed is frustrating, the things (the refs) are looking for, I think those are."

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!