Ball don’t lie: 3 worst calls from Week 17 of the 2021 NFL season
By Mark Powell
Kansas City Chiefs screwed over repeatedly in loss to Bengals
Late in the game, the Chiefs were called for pass interference twice, and then a defensive penalty which gave the Bengals another chance at a fourth-down conversion. Essentially, the Bengals goal-to-go portion of their final drive lasted at least eight plays.
L’Jarius Sneed was called for pass interference twice. Both of those penalties looked to be a little suspect, especially the first. Sneed barely made contact with Ja’Marr Chase and was flagged on a critical play.
L'Jarius Sneed was flagged for pass interference on this play. #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/5H6Os8JVvH
— Mitchel Summers (@MitchSummersTV) January 2, 2022
Sneed was furious, and rightly so. His frustration only grew in the later stages of the game. First, Charvarius Ward was called for a cheap pass interference penalty which extended the Bengals goal-to-go situation. Then, on a fourth-down play, Sneed was called for a defensive penalty, which gave the Bengals another chance to convert.
haven't seen anyone post these. i'm trying my hardest to not see anything here. pic.twitter.com/sJAMbHsdfb
— John Sheeran (@John__Sheeran) January 4, 2022
Despite Chiefs fans’ frustration, blaming the officials for their defeat altogether feels a bit desperate. Cincinnati is a great team, and a real threat in the AFC. Perhaps Kansas City shouldn’t have blown multiple 14-point leads in the first place.
With the loss, the Chiefs fell to the No. 2 seed in the AFC Playoffs.