The New England Patriots were unable to use their Microsoft Surface tablets during portions of the AFC Championship game. The trouble with the tablets made coaches unable to look at plays and formations with their players as they came off the field.

The Patriots' Surface tablets were not fully functional for portions of the game, while the Denver Broncos' sideline did not report any problems, CNet reports.

Players Use Tablets With Coaches

Many NFL teams like using the Surface tablets after drives both on offense and defense, especially in order to regroup after giving up a touchdown on defense or throwing an interception on offense.

The Patriots reported frustration that they could not look at the tablets during a critical moment on defense.

"They're having some trouble with their Microsoft Surface tablets," CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn reported during the game. "On the last defensive possession the Patriots' coaches did not have access to those tablets to show pictures to their players. NFL officials have been working at it. Some of those tablets are back in use, but not all of them. A lot of frustration that they didn't have them on that last possession." 

Network Issues

Microsoft said that the tablets were not the problem. The tech giant instead blamed network issues at the stadium in Denver.

"Our team on the field has confirmed the issue was not related to the tablets themselves but rather an issue with the network," the company said in a statement. "We worked with our partners who manage the network to ensure the issue was resolved quickly." 

The Patriots did get the Surface tablets back in working condition, but the technical issues still were notable, especially in a close game that ended with the Broncos winning 20-18.

Since the errors with the Patriots' tablets occurred during the game, the Broncos were still allowed to use theirs. If the malfunction had occurred before the game, both teams' tablets would have been disabled for the game.

Microsoft Surface tablets have been the exclusive tablets on the sidelines of NFL games since 2013, when the league and Microsoft signed a $400 million deal. Commentators kept referring to the tablets as "iPads," which caused the network to remind them to refer to the tablets by their correct name.