Patriots call out NFL officials for bad calls in Week 8 game vs. Dolphins

Besides the typical grudges that fans tend to have with NFL officiating on a weekly basis, which is becoming a lot more valid in recent weeks, coaches and players are starting to get more comfortable with making their grievances known as well.

It's not uncommon for staff and players to voice their displeasure with what they deem to be a bad call, but when the officials miss blatant penalties that cause significant injury, it makes sense that they would share their thoughts even more.

Unfortunately, that's the situation the Patriots are in after their Week 8 loss to the Dolphins, where more injuries piled up and inconsistent officiating became the story of the game.

From the literal definition of a helmet-to-helmet hit on DeVante Parker that left him concussed, which was then allegedly celebrated by the Dolphins toward the Patriots sideline, to a phantom whistle that nobody but the referees heard, it was an absolute dumpster fire for the entirety of the game.

And that's not just because the Patriots lost, which some may feel is why the fans and now the team are speaking out about. It's because the officiating continues to be an issue every week in almost every game that is played and, more often than not, sways the outcome despite the NFL claiming not to want that to be the case ever.

Although the Patriots were likely going to lose in Miami anyway, it doesn't absolve the referees from performing their duties so poorly that it became one of the biggest talking points on social media during the game.

That includes Daniel Ekuale, who is currently injured and watching his team play from home. He took to Twitter to express his take on the officials in Sunday's game, calling them out for being terrible just an hour after the game started.

It didn't take long for the defensive lineman to double down on his previous tweet, sending out another thought of disbelief an hour later.

It was a very relatable moment for most Patriots fans watching the game.

Because the inconsistency of penalties continued throughout the entire 60 minutes of game time, players commented on it during their post-game media availability.

Matthew Slater, who is not known for ever really calling out the ridiculousness of the NFL, made sure to address the hit on Parker that forced him to leave the game with a head injury and unable to return. Because DeShon Elliott, the Dolphin who made the hit, was not flagged in real-time, Slater shared he believes he will be fined for it once the NFL takes a look at film this week.

But it doesn't stop there.

Bill Belichick spoke a little about the poor officiating as well during his weekly appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" on Monday. Although he didn't speak about what most have taken issues with, he did mention another moment that was not caught by referees; two instances of tripping of Ezekiel Elliott.

ESPN's Mike Reiss found the moments while watching game film and shared them on social media. Since it's uncommon for Belichick to vocalize his frustration about officiating publicly, it shows how bad it was in this game.