It's rare for an NFL head coach to be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the New England Patriots' Mike Vrabel was penalized for the infraction in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills. "I told them that it was a terrible - I'm not going to say - effing call," Vrabel said after the game, which New England won 29-26. "I've said that 87 times since I've been a head coach. There was nothing derogatory. You know, you'd have to ask (the referee). I think he was a little sensitive." The foul occurred when the Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones was called for defensive holding on a third-and-goal play from the 16-yard line, on which Bills quarterback Josh Allen's pass to wide receiver DJ Moore fell incomplete. Instead of fourth-and-goal from the 16-yard line, it became a first down for Buffalo from the 11. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was hit with an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty. The Bills tied the game a few plays later. pic.twitter.com/6JsrQWfAeA - NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 4, 2026 Vrabel did not agree with the call, and used profanity while arguing his case to the officials. They called an unsportsmanlike penalty on Vrabel, which tacked on an extra 5 yards to the Jones penalty and set the Bills up with a first down on the 6. Allen ran in for a touchdown three plays later to tie the game at 14. "Once I get the word from upstairs that it wasn't what we felt like was a good call, which I'm going to trust (Patriots VP of football operations and strategy John Streicher) with my life - I probably shouldn't have swore," Vrabel said. "But I can tell you in my history of being on the sidelines as a head coach, I've said that. I apologized to him, and again, players responded. It was unfortunate, and I have to be better in those moments." After the game, during a postgame pool interview, referee Bill Vinovich said Vrabel was assessed the penalty because he was "out of the box, came up to the official and said, 'That was a f-ing horrible call.'" When asked if any warning was given, Vinovich said: "I don't know how you're going to give a warning. It's not something that is going to happen twice. When you use language like that, it's pretty much a given." Vrabel isn't the first coach to be hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty this season. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen earned the infraction in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos after expressing his disagreement with a defensive pass interference call midway through the fourth quarter. The Broncos scored a touchdown on the next play, which ended up being the difference in a 20-13 Denver win.