The referees missed a massive penalty against the Buffalo Bills last week, but the NFL caught it later. Officials ignored a chop block that resulted in a $12,537 fine for TreVeyon Henderson.
Sports Illustrated reported the news on Sunday afternoon after the Patriots beat the Raiders. The league penalized the runner for an illegal hit on rookie linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr. This happened just 55 seconds before the game ended in a blowout win.
That play sealed the victory for New England, yet the fine shows the league does not care about the score. The penalty allowed quarterback Drake Maye to stay safe and find tight end Hunter Henry for a first down. Fans in the stands saw no flag, but the league office reviewed the tape and handed down the cash penalty. Mike Reiss posted the details on X, confirming the exact dollar amount for the infraction.
The Bigger Problem on the Line
While Henderson pays for his hit, the Patriots face a much bigger headache on the offensive line. In the first half of the game versus Las Vegas, Will Campbell sustained a knee sprain. After running back Rhamondre Stevenson was tackled into his right leg, he exited the field. This is the same leg Campbell tore his MCL in last season. The injury could “likely cause him to miss some time,” according to Sports Illustrated.
He will get an MRI to confirm the damage, but the team already knows the risk. Campbell has been a key player, allowing only 11 pressures and one sack all year. Now rookie Caleb Lomu must step up in the starting lineup. Lomu played a career-high 47 snaps and allowed just one pressure. He told reporters that “That’s just one of the things that Vrabes and even this league is all about,” Sports Illustrated quoted him saying.
Coach Vrabel Wants Cleaner Football
Mike Vrabel was happy with the 45-17 win over the Raiders, but he is not ignoring the mistakes. The coach called the penalties “ridiculous” in his postgame comments. He knows a big score can hide bad habits that hurt the team later. The Patriots improved to 3-2, but Vrabel wants them to play without giving opponents free yards. He warned that they cannot count on overcoming errors every week.
Lomu proved he is ready when the call comes, saying, “Always just like I said, preparing like a starter no matter what happens, you know, as soon as it happened, I was ready to go, do what I could do to help the team win.” The team has work to do before facing the Jets next Sunday. They need less chaos on the field and more focus on the details that win close games.