Patriots Player Ripped ‘Terrible’ Referees Amid Loss To Dolphins

Sunday's Dolphins-Patriots game did not feature a sterling showcase of NFL officiating.

The referees weren't the foremost determining factor in Miami's 31-17 win over New England, but they certainly made their presence felt at Hard Rock Stadium for the wrong reasons. Included was a bogus pass interference ruling on J.C. Jackson in the end zone and a missed call on a helmet-to-helmet hit on DeVante Parker, who was knocked out of the Week 8 contest.

Daniel Ekuale, who was forced to be a spectator Sunday due to a torn biceps injury, couldn't contain his frustration about the officiating. The defensive tackle twice took aim at the refs on X, formerly known as Twitter, during the AFC East showdown.

"These refs are terrible smh," Ekuale posted and later added "Bruh what? WOWWW #Refs," coupled with a trash can emoji.

Bill Belichick unsurprisingly stiff-armed a question about the officiating after the game. The Patriots head coach told reporters to ask the refs about their own performance, as it "doesn't matter" what he thinks about how the game was handled.

The Patriots will hope for better officiating Sunday when they host the Washington Commanders, but at this point, it won't have much of an impact on New England's season. It's a lost campaign in Foxboro, Mass., and Belichick and company should proceed in such fashion before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.