Patriots Player Fined For Chop Block Refs Missed On Sunday

Last week's NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and the Patriots witnessed a missed penalty that led to a $12,537 fine for Patriots player TreVeyon Henderson. The league only discovered the controversial chop block after reviewing game footage, despite missing it in real-time. Henderson's illegal hit resulted in a penalty against rookie linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr, 55 seconds before the game's conclusion in a 45-17 Patriots victory.

Although the score sealed the win for New England, the league's focus was not on the result, but on enforcing the rules. Quarterback Drake Maye benefited from the foul, completing a pass to tight end Hunter Henry for a first down.

The incident also exposed another injury concern for the Patriots, as running back Will Campbell suffered a knee sprain during the first half against the Raiders. Campbell's injured leg had previously undergone an MCL tear in the previous season. Sports Illustrated reported that the extent of the injury could "likely cause him to miss some time."

Campbell has been instrumental to the team, limiting pressures and sacks throughout the year, making the loss of his services potentially significant. To compensate, rookie Caleb Lomu stepped in, tackling a career-high 47 snaps and allowing a single pressure. Lomu expressed his readiness, stating that he was prepared to help the team win, regardless of the circumstances, as quoted by Sports Illustrated.

Head coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged the Patriots' win but criticized the league's handling of the penalties, calling them "ridiculous." He stressed that teams cannot rely on overcoming errors every week and emphasized the importance of clean football. With the next game against the Jets scheduled for the following Sunday, Vrabel called for the team to focus on reducing chaos on the field and refining their details, which ultimately determine close game outcomes.