Dave Birkett, and Jeff Seidel

Detroit Free Press

FOXBORO, Mass. – The New England Patriots ran for a late touchdown when they could have taken three knees and ended today's 34-9 win over the Detroit Lions in the victory formation, and that decision rankled Dominic Raiola.

Raiola admitted after the game that he tried to cut-block Patriots defensive tackle Zach Moore on the Lions' final offensive snap as retaliation for the score.

"I cut him," Raiola said. "We took a knee, so I cut the nose (tackle). They went for six (a touchdown). They went for a touchdown at 2 minutes. They could have took three knees and the game could have been over. It's football. He wants to keep playing football, let's play football. Not a big deal. It's football."

The Patriots were up, 27-9, when they lined up for a field goal on fourth down coming out of the 2-minute warning, but Lions defensive tackle C.J. Mosley was called for a personal foul for hitting long-snapper Danny Aiken with the helmet giving New England a fresh set of downs.

The Lions were out of time-outs at the time, so the Patriots could have ended the game by taking three straight knees.

Instead, they handed the ball off to LeGarrette Blount on first-and-goal from the 1 and Blount barreled into the end zone for the score.

The Lions ran six plays on the ensuing possession, but when a penalty left them in a first-and-25 with 17 seconds to play, Matthew Stafford knelt on the ball.

Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said he didn't see Raiola's cut block, but he called the play dirty nonetheless.

Raiola was not penalized on the play.

"I just heard what happened, but that was stupid," Wilfork said. "I didn't see it, but from what I heard … You're taking a knee. They'd get mad if we were just to blow up one of their players, so I mean, it's just uncalled for. But at the same time, you always have to protect yourself, so you always have to play with your neck on a swivel and being alert for 60 minutes, and it came down to it today on a bonehead play like that. But luckily no one got hurt and we can move on."