NFL admits errant call on Bills' final play vs. Patriots

NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said officials erred on the final play of the New England Patriots' 20-13 win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.

Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins caught a pass from Tyrod Taylor and attempted to get out of bounds to stop the clock, landing at the 48-yard line before falling backward on the sideline with two seconds remaining. But the clock ran out to seal the Patriots' victory, and head referee Gene Steratore told a pool reporter after the game that Watkins was ruled to be "giving himself up."

Blandino later told NFL Network Watkins should have been ruled out of bounds on the play.

"It's a judgment call," Blandino said. "In the head linesman's judgment, he felt that the player gave himself up. ... A player can certainly give himself up - a runner going to the ground and making no attempt to advance - but you certainly want to give that player the opportunity to get out of bounds, especially inside of two minutes."

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Had Watkins been ruled out of bounds, the Bills would have had one more shot at a potentially game-tying Hail Mary.

Blandino earlier stated that officials also made a mistake with an inadvertent whistle on a Patriots reception in the third quarter.