The refs blew one play dead by mistake. Then when Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins crawled out of bounds untouched near midfield on the final play of the game, the official signalled for the clock to run.

Referee Gene Steratore told a pool reporter after the New England Patriots' 20-13 win over the Bills that it was decided that Watkins "gave himself up in the field of play."

The inadvertent whistle came on a 14-yard pass to New Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola when the official apparently thought Brady stepped out of bounds. After a long discussion, the referee announced that 14-yard reception counted, with a 15-yard penalty for interference from the Bills coaching staff.

"That's one of the craziest I've ever seen," said Bills running back LeSean McCoy, who ran 20 times for 82 yards and a 27-yard touchdown.

The NFL admitted their mistake on the Amendola play after the game.

"Line judge lost track of the football, blew his whistle inadvertently," the NFL's vice president of officiating, Dean Blandino, told the NFL Network. "It was a mistake. Whistle shouldn't have been blown."