The New England Patriots secured a victory on Sunday over the New Orleans Saints, but it didn’t come easily.
One shocking statistic reveals just how much the officiating played a part in Sunday’s win. According to ESPN Research, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots had 113 yards and a touchdown wiped out by pass interference calls.
The first call came on a pass from quarterback Drake Maye to wide receiver Demario Douglas that would have gone for a 61-yard touchdown. Instead, it was negated by a late whistle that came as the special teams unit was starting to run onto the field. The call came away from the play on veteran wideout Stefon Diggs.
The second notable penalty was offensive pass interference on Diggs once again. Maye heaved a deep ball up to the four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, who made a beautiful grab against a defender. But the play was wiped off the board after another flag came flying.
Two different very soft OPI penalties on Stefon Diggs wipe out:
A 61 yard Demario Douglas TD
A 51 yard Stefon Diggs catch
Crazy pair of calls on a very established player pic.twitter.com/oAE86DM7Nx
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) October 12, 2025
Despite the questionable officiating, the Patriots still managed to hold on for a 25-19 victory on the road. They had to battle both the Saints and the refs to get the job done in this outing.
If anything, they showcased their resilience when things weren’t going their way. They did what good teams often do. They found a way to win.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Crazy stat from Patriots-Saints game highlights impact of officiating
