NFL referees were blasted by fans following a hit on New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye Sunday afternoon.
Maye exited the Patriots’ victory over the New York Jets due to a concussion scare after a hit to the head.
He took a hit to the back of his head while sliding in Foxborough. He was listed as questionable to return and replaced with Jacoby Brissett. Brissett would go on to lead the Patriots (2-6) to a 25-20 victory to snap the team’s six-game losing streak.
The hit was somewhat controversial, given that Maye had begun sliding when Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood made helmet-to-helmet contact with the Patriots’ quarterback – an apparent violation of NFL rules.
However, no penalty was called on the play, sparking backlash from furious football fans on social media.
NFL referees were blasted by fans following a hit on New England quarterback Drake Maye
The quarterback took a hit to the back of his head while sliding but no penalty was called
‘I’m no longer surprised by any inept handling of these situations by the NFL,’ one fan shared to X, formerly known as social media.
‘The NFL’s officiating needs to be revamped and fixed,’ one fan wrote on X. ‘You miss this obvious helmet to helmet when a QB is giving himself up and it results in a potential concussion/Drake Maye being knocked out of the game.’
‘Awful Officiating,’ another claimed, before a third added: ‘Refs suck this year league wide.’
Meanwhile others accused the officials of failing to spot a potential penalty, with one writing, ‘refs are blind this game,’ while another agreed, saying, ‘The refs are so BLIND this year.’
‘Totally unnecessary in my opinion. He was sliding. Dirty play,’ another social media user chimed in.
Meanwhile, other NFL fans appeared to hint at favoritism within the league, suggesting that calls went in favor of some teams more than offers.
‘Refs never call anything for the patriots, but always on the chiefs side… I think it’s obvious that these refs want Mahomes to surpass tom brady,’ one fan claimed, referencing the Maye incident.
‘If a defender did that to Mahomes he would’ve been sent to solitary confinement,’ another echoed.
The lack of a flag on the play sparked backlash from furious football fans on social media
Earlier in the game, Maye, the first-round pick out of North Carolina, rushed for a 17-yard touchdown – his first score on the ground of his young career.
Maye was having some success in just his third NFL start.
He completed just 3 of 6 passes thanks to two key drops by Patriots receivers, but Maye compensated for that by running three times for 46 yards and a touchdown.
Maye has been impressive since becoming the Patriots’ starter two games earlier, although he is still searching for his first win.
After completing 4 of 8 passes in relief of Brissett in a loss to the Jets on September 19, Maye has gone 49 of 76 for 742 yards, five touchdowns and two picks.
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