The New England Patriots grinded out a 24-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, which was the team’s sixth-straight victory. With a 7-2 record, the Patriots are tied alongside the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos for the best record in the league, although they currently are sitting in the AFC’s No. 3 seed thanks to their weak strength of schedule.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Pats were able to do just enough to sneak past the Falcons on Sunday afternoon. After the game, though, Atlanta’s head coach, Raheem Morris, accused New England of committing a penalty on a crucial play that was not called by the referees. When Patriots’ head coach Mike Vrabel caught wind of Morris’ comments, he offered a blunt response.
Mike Vrabel Takes Aim at Raheem Morris and the Falcons
For the first half of this game, the Patriots were in complete control over the Falcons. After committing a pair of costly turnovers, star quarterback Drake Maye struggled down the stretch, allowing Atlanta to get within one point of them. A missed extra point from John Parker Romo ensured New England would hold onto the lead after the Falcons appeared to score a game-tying touchdown, but their defense forced a quick three-and-out, getting the ball back for their offense.
Atlanta’s offense was again driving late in the fourth quarter, but things unraveled as they crossed midfield. With the ball on the Patriots’ 48-yard line, Penix appeared to have the ball snapped to him before he was expecting it. He quickly threw the ball into the ground about a yard in front of him, and with no receiver around him, he was called for intentional grounding. 2nd & 10 became 3rd & 20, and after throwing an incompletion on the next play, the Falcons punted the ball.
With New England getting a first down in three plays, Atlanta never got the ball back, as this intentional grounding call essentially ended the team’s comeback hopes. After the game, Morris claimed that the Patriots’ defenders were mimicking quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s snap count, which resulted in him getting caught off guard by the snap. Vrabel said he heard Morris’ accusation, but after watching the play again, he said he had no idea what he was talking about.
“I didn’t see anything,” Vrabel said on “The Greg Hill Show.” “Is that fake? I don’t know … That was new. I didn’t see that. Maybe that’s a testament to our fans. They got loud, and I could hear the energy, so thank them for that. But I didn’t see anything.”
Mike Vrabel, Patriots Moving on from Win Over Falcons
GettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 26: Head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots looks on during the third quarter in the game against the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Had the Patriots’ defenders been clapping or interfering with Penix’s snap count, it would have resulted in a penalty. After going back and watching the play, though, nobody on New England’s defense can be seen doing anything that would reasonably throw Penix or his offensive line off their count. Vrabel simply attributed it to the rowdy fans at Gillette Stadium who were cheering their team on.
Regardless, nothing can be done to go back and change this play, so the Vrabel and the Pats will simply move on and begin preparing for their next game. They will draw another tough matchup against a strong NFC South team in Week 10, as they hit the road for a clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Kickoff for this very important game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.
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