For one of the very few times over the last few years, the Patriots were favored going into their game against the Saints on Sunday, and although they didn't play nearly as well as they did in Buffalo a week ago, they managed to get the win and keep their winning streak going.
It wasn't easy, however, because the NFL officials on duty for the game seemed motivated to make it nearly impossible for the Patriots to move down the field.
It's not ideal to blame the referees for a loss or any bad call/no-call, but their work in the Patriots' game this week was so egregious that even NFL analysts and insiders were commenting on it. By the end of the game, they had taken away over 100 yards and a touchdown from the Patriots with a phantom call on Stefon Diggs, who was not ready to let it go when speaking to reporters.
In fact, the veteran receiver revealed his plan to send the game footage to the league office, a move that Patriots fans will love.
Stefon Diggs is taking the right approach to another questionable penalty during the Patriots' win
While speaking to reporters after the game, Diggs shared his intention of reviewing the game footage, specifically the play in which he was called for offensive pass interference that wiped away a 61-yard touchdown pass to DeMario Douglas.
Stefon Diggs said he hasn’t reviewed the two OPI penalties but hopes to have the tape submitted to the league to see what they think.
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) October 12, 2025
Any admission of a mistake is unlikely, as even their pool report right after the game came up with some outlandish excuse for the penalty, but it's at least worth a try.
On top of that, hearing Diggs want to address the matter is excellent for the fans, who also voiced their displeasure with the officiating of the game. Fans outside New England might not want to hear complaints about the referees from Patriots fans, but their frustrations were completely valid on Sunday, as the situation only seemed to get worse as the game progressed.
The only silver lining of it all was that they still managed to win, and the penalties didn't take away something they couldn't recover. It looked like it might, at one point during the afternoon, but they managed to overcome the distractions and secure a 4-2 record.
Officiating has consistently been an issue in the NFL for several years, and it doesn't seem to be improving. There are plenty of ways for the league to improve their performance, making them full-time employees might be one way to start, yet it doesn't seem like they're at all concerned with their bad showings.
Maybe their horrendous day in this game will be put on their radar, and they will finally consider making some changes.