{"id":929782,"date":"2026-10-12T03:54:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T03:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/929782\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T03:54:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T03:54:13","slug":"refs-miss-critical-penalty-vs-bills-nfl-fines-patriots-player-after-the-fact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/929782\/","title":{"rendered":"Refs Miss Critical Penalty vs. Bills, NFL Fines Patriots’ Player After The Fact"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Buffalo Bills have had a rough week<\/a> since their narrow loss to the New England Patriots last Sunday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.<\/p>\n

Whether it be injuries that resulted from the game<\/a> or simply just the reality of the ramifications that now come with the divisional loss, Buffalo\u2019s players and coaches\u2014whether they want to openly admit it or not\u2014have likely had lingering thoughts of New England and third-year quarterback Drake Maye in the back of their minds<\/a> over the past several days.<\/p>\n

Patriots\u2019 player punished for game-sealing play in fourth quarter\"New<\/p>\n

Sept. 20, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots’ running back TreVeyon Henderson warms up before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Now, to make matters worse, news broke Sunday afternoon that Patriots\u2019 second-year running back Tre\u2019Veyon Henderson was recently fined for an infraction on the game-sealing play against Buffalo last weekend . . . and it\u2019s one he should\u2019ve apparently been flagged for.<\/p>\n

If fans\u2019 memories are foggy, the sequence in question was a 12-yard completion to tight end Hunter Henry from the aforementioned Maye on 3rd-and-10 with 55 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the matchup.<\/p>\n

Off play-action to Henderson, the third-year quarterback rolled to his right and found Henry in the flat for an easy pass-and-catch to move the chains and secure a critical victory in the AFC East.<\/p>\n

Some fans and outside critics questioned Bills\u2019 cornerback Maxwell Hairston\u2019s effort on the play, thinking the former University of Kentucky playmaker<\/a> could\u2019ve attempted to stop the much larger Henry in his tracks before he was able to cross the first-down marker.<\/p>\n

Forget the fine, Henderson\u2019s infraction normally calls for a flag\"New<\/p>\n

Oct. 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots’ quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass during an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

However, what might peeve Bills Mafia even more is to know that Henderson should\u2019ve been penalized for a chop block on the play, which he has now subsequently been fined for.<\/p>\n

Following the fake hand off, Henderson went low on Buffalo\u2019s rookie linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr<\/a>, who was blitzing on the play.<\/p>\n

The Patriots\u2019 runner went low and easily flipped Elarms-Orr into the air and onto the ground . . . which allowed Maye to remain unscathed and quickly find his open target.<\/p>\n

And, now seven days later, ESPN reporter Mike Reiss posted the news on X prior to New England\u2019s afternoon outing with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday that the former Ohio State runner was slapped with a $12,537 fine for the illegal chop block.<\/p>\n

Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson was fined $12,537 for a chop block late in last week’s win over the Bills. <\/p>\n

The infraction came with 55 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the play in which the team sealed the victory (a 12-yard Hunter Henry catch-and-run for a first down).<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Ultimately, he wasn\u2019t hit with an infraction during the game, though, which is clearly an issue. The NFL outlawed all chop blocks prior to the 2016 season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, if the league finds a play to be worthy of a fiscal punishment a week later, then shouldn\u2019t that exact same play have been penalized during a very critical point in a divisional matchup last Sunday?<\/p>\n

Surely, that should\u2019ve been the case . . . yet, just as many things have gone the Patriots\u2019 way in the past, the NFL\u2019s referees somehow turned a blind eye to the massive miscue on Henderson\u2019s part only later to have the league office hand down a miniscule \u201cslap\u201d on the wrist after the fact.<\/p>\n

Penalty should\u2019ve proved costly for Patriots in pivotal moment\"New<\/p>\n

Oct. 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots’ head coach Mike Vrabel speaks with line judge Brian Bolinger (40) during the third quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Had Henderson been penalized, then New England would\u2019ve likely had to punt after being pushed back 15 yards on third down. Instead, nothing happened aside from a minor financial penalty being given to the Patriots\u2019 playmaker.<\/p>\n

Now, following back-to-back victories, the Patriots are right back in the thick of contention within the AFC and the AFC East.<\/p>\n

They could even leapfrog Buffalo in the standings, which Bills ON SI\u2019s Randy Gurzi just reported on<\/a> following Sunday afternoon’s slate of NFL games.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s funny how that happens, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

\u2014\u00a0Sign up for OnSI\u2019s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter<\/a>\u00a0\u2014<\/p>\n

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