Mike Vrabel: The referee reported me because he was sensitive when I told him he made a bad call

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was reported for unsportsmanlike conduct during today’s win over the Bills, and he said after the game that he felt the official who reported him was too sensitive.

Vrabel admitted to using profanity and telling the official he made a poor call on a defensive holding penalty that gave the Bills a first down after the Patriots defense forced an incomplete third down. But Vrabel said that in all his years as coach, he repeatedly made similar comments to officials without being reported.

“I told him it was a terrible — I’m not going to say effing — call,” Vrabel said. “I’ve said that 87 times since I’ve been head coach. It wasn’t anything derogatory. You’d have to ask him. I think he was being a little sensitive.”

Vrabel said John “Stretch” Streicher, who has been one of Vrabel’s most trusted assistant coaches since the two worked together at Tennessee, told him over his headset that it was a bad decision. Vrabel said when he was assured a call was wrong, he felt justified in telling officials.

“I probably shouldn’t have cussed, but I can tell you in my past as a head coach, I said it. And I apologized to him,” Vrabel said. “It was unfortunate and I have to be better in those moments.”

Referee Bill Vinovich told Mike Reiss after the match that the profanity had crossed the line.

“He had come out of the box, walked up to the manager and said, ‘That was a terrible fucking call,'” Vinovich said.

Asked if he had given Vrabel a warning, Vinovich replied: “I don’t know how you’re going to give a warning. It’s not something that’s going to happen twice. When you use language like that, it’s almost a given.”

It stands to reason that Vrabel will hear from the league office this week.