Tom Brady Says He's Very 'Pro-Ref' Despite Tweets Ripping TNF Officials

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Friday he's "pro-ref" despite a pair of Twitter posts ridiculing penalty calls during the Thursday Night Football game between the AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.

Brady said he wasn't criticizing the officials with his tweets, per Doug Kyed of NESN.

Here's a look at what the six-time Super Bowl champion posted on social media:

The number of penalty calls during the first two weeks of the 2019 NFL season was up 16.2 percent from the same period last year, per ESPN Stats & Information. The surge in calls was led by a 66 percent increase in offensive holding flags.

Brady's Patriots haven't been seriously affected by the uptick, though. They've had 15 penalties called against them in blowout victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins, which puts them right around the league average, according to the NFL Penalty Tracker.

Last December, the future Hall of Fame quarterback discussed his frustration with the officiating in a 17-10 loss to the Steelers after New England was called for 14 penalties, including three offensive holds.

"[The referee] said they're trying to call those tighter. I don't have the replay of them, so I don't know how tight they are. Obviously, there is holding on every play in the NFL," Brady said. "That's what we do. We hold. It's just whether you get called or not. If they are calling it, then you just have to do a little bit less of it. That's how you block. You hold. They're holding, we're holding."

Expect more holding, and more penalties, when the Patriots battle the New York Jets on Sunday.