Thursday’s Patriots loss featured multiple controversial officiating decisions. Chief among them: Hunter Henry’s disallowed third-quarter touchdown.
After a lengthy video review, officials ruled that Henry did not maintain possession as he hauled in a pass from Mac Jones at the goal line. The Patriots settled for a field goal to take a three-point lead, and the Minnesota Vikings went on to score 10 unanswered points to claim a 33-26 victory on Thanksgiving night.
Henry, who caught a 37-yard touchdown earlier in the game, disputed the call when speaking with reporters at U.S. Bank Stadium, saying he believed he completed the catch. Jones also offered his reaction to the controversial ruling.
“I think obviously, the refs have a job to do, and they looked at the review and called it incomplete,” the Patriots quarterback told reporters. “So we’ve got to move on from that play and play the rest of the game. There was plenty of time left, and there was other times we could have punched it in and that wouldn’t even have been an issue. So, kind of the same story there.”
Jones was referencing the Patriots’ issues with red-zone execution, which have persisted throughout this season. New England entered Thursday ranked 31st in the NFL in red-zone touchdown rate — ahead of only the offensively anemic Denver Broncos — and proceeded to go 0-for-3 in that area against Minnesota. They settled for field goals on drives that ended at the Vikings’ 5-, 6- and 16-yard lines.
Overall, the Patriots were much more productive offensively than they had been in their previous three games, with Jones throwing for a career-high 382 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. But their four drives after Henry’s would-be touchdown went: three-and-out, three-and-out, turnover on downs, end of game.
“We did some good things,” Jones told reporters. “Obviously, not good enough in the long run, and one call can’t determine the outcome. We’ve got to be able to do better so it’s not even close.”
The 6-5 Patriots now must shift their focus to a massive AFC East matchup against the 8-3 Buffalo Bills, whom they will host at Gillette Stadium next Thursday night.
