Patriots Beat Bills as Vrabel Draws Sideline Penalty

The New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 29-26 on October 4, despite an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against head coach Mike Vrabel after he criticized a defensive-holding call with profanity. The penalty gave Buffalo five yards and an automatic first down, moving the Bills to New England’s 6-yard line. The reports do not establish whether the NFL later disciplined Vrabel. Vrabel said after the game that he had told the official the call was bad and acknowledged swearing. He said he had made similar comments during his coaching career without being penalized, and described the official as “a little sensitive.” Vrabel also apologized and said he needed to do better in those moments. Referee Bill Vinovich offered a different explanation, telling a reporter that Vrabel’s language crossed a line. Asked whether the coach had been warned, Vinovich said he did not know how a warning could be given because the conduct was not something that would happen twice. The accounts leave the precise basis for the penalty disputed, and the supplied reports do not include an official penalty record or a full review of the exchange.