Joe Flacco exploded after the Bengals’ loss to the Patriots, declaring that “if they want New England to win at all costs, then just give them the championship and stop making us play these meaningless games.” He accused the officiating crew of deliberately ignoring every Patriots infraction, putting the Bengals at a severe disadvantage. Flacco also insulted Drake Maye, saying that facing the rookie was “an insult to my career” and even calling him “an overly protected player.” These intense remarks immediately caused an uproar, forcing the NFL to intervene quickly and heavily punish Joe Flacco to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.