The New England Patriots got off to a slow start in their game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, and a bad call late in the first half didn’t help.
Miami jumped out to a 14-0 lead before the Patriots appeared to come up with a big fourth-down stop late in the first quarter. The Dolphins attempted a fake punt, and punter Michael Palardy did not get to the first-down marker. However, Patriots special teamer Brandon Bolden was flagged for unnecessary roughness for hitting Palardy in the head area.
The problem is replays showed that Bolden didn’t even make contact with Palardy. Here’s the video:
Unfortunately for the Patriots, the play was not reviewable. You can see why the referee thought Bolden made contact, but he didn’t. The flag should have been picked up.
Instead of a turnover on downs, the Dolphins were awarded a first down. They finished the drive with a field goal to take a 17-0 lead.
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