The New England Patriots’ 25–19 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 6 was overshadowed by officiating controversies.
The game at Caesars Superdome on Sunday featured two young quarterbacks, Drake Maye for New England and Spencer Rattler for New Orleans, each in their second NFL season. Maye threw three touchdown passes, including 25- and 29-yard strikes to Kayshon Boutte and a deep 53-yarder to DeMario Douglas, propelling the Patriots to their third straight win and a 4–2 record. Rattler, despite completing 20 of 26 passes for 227 yards, could only lead the Saints to one touchdown, as the Saints repeatedly stalled in the red zone and settled for four Blake Grupe field goals.
But the most significant moment of the afternoon came late in the first quarter on what looked like a game-breaking play. Facing third-and-2, Maye scrambled to buy time before finding Douglas streaking downfield for a 61-yard score. As New England lined up for the extra point, a late flag hit the turf, OPI on Stefon Diggs. The penalty wiped out the touchdown and infuriated the Patriots' head coach, Mike Vrabel, who immediately confronted the officials.
Vrabel offered a measured but pointed reaction after the game.
“Don’t really have much of an explanation,” he said. “That was what they felt they saw,” (h/t Chad Graff of The Athletic).
The call originated from Diggs’ brief hand contact with cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, though both players appeared to be engaged equally and were not directly involved in the play. The timing of the flag invited particular criticism, as it came several moments after the completion.
After the game, referee Adrian Hill explained that officials had identified Diggs for blocking downfield and that the foul was only enforceable once Maye’s pass was thrown.
The questionable officiating didn’t stop there. On the following snap, New Orleans corner Quincy Riley was flagged for defensive pass interference, a decision many viewed as a “makeup call.” New England took advantage of the penalty and quickly scored on a 25-yard touchdown from Maye to Boutte to take a 14–6 lead.
Diggs was flagged again in the fourth quarter for another highly debatable OPI, erasing a 53-yard reception that would have set the Patriots up to extend their lead. In total, the New England lost 113 yards and a touchdown due to those two penalties.
Amid the chaos, the Patriots' offense kept its cool, with TreVeyon Henderson and Kayshon Boutte making clutch plays to put the game to bed.
Vrabel’s sideline management paid off in the closing minutes, as he played his cards right by successfully challenging two rulings. One overturned a fumble call that granted New England possession, and another confirmed that Boutte had stayed inbounds, allowing the clock to continue running.
Overall, the Patriots were penalized 11 times for 65 yards compared to the Saints' eight for 67.
