The 2024 season wasn't expected to be a great one for the Patriots under these circumstances, but the selection of quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick earlier this year gave a glimmer of hope that the offense might look a little better with the rookie under the middle, whenever that may be.

After a difficult start to the year for Jacoby Brissett, the decision was made to replace him with Maye in Week 6, and despite two straight losses to the Texans and Jaguars, he was impressive and proved he could lead the offense to success capable unit, even if everything works against him to achieve this.

Heading into their final game on Sunday against the Jets, who have underperformed so far this year, it seemed like a good opportunity for Maye to get his first official win of the season. The team needed a respite from a difficult two weeks of constant rumors and supposed tension behind the scenes, and it looked like they were on their way to a win early on thanks to Maye's performance.

After scoring the first touchdown and leading the team in rushing yards, Maye tried to get the offense into the end zone again, but was taken out by a helmet-to-helmet hit that the referees pretended he didn't see.

The quarterback suffered a concussion and was sidelined early in the second half, leading to the Patriots' coaching staff being less than pleased with the way the referees handled the situation.

Among the various topics that have been continually discussed in New England and the rest of the NFL this season has been inconsistent officiating. While every team will complain about a bad or missed call, serious missed penalties like a helmet-to-helmet hit are simply not acceptable, which is why the Patriots' coaching staff shares their frustration.

Jerod Mayo briefly expressed his feelings when addressing the media after the victory, calling the officiating “questionable.” But according to NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry, the head coach isn't the only one unhappy about the missed call to the quarterback.

There will always be glaring missed penalties for any team to complain about, so some might argue that dealing with Maye's hit is a bit upsetting.

However, if the missed penalty directly affects a player's health and safety, not to mention a referee seeing the hit first hand and contacting the player (Maye) to see if he is OK, Does that mean it shouldn't? Leave room for error.

It completely contradicts what Commissioner Roger Goodell continues to try to convey to players and fans about the state of the NFL. Not long ago he proclaimed that officiating was the best and that he had no interest in even entertaining, which may not be true. This is the latest example of this being a complete lie that the league will surely have to deal with in the days following the Patriots' victory.

More Patriots news and analysis: