Refs explanation for replayed Chiefs third down in controversial AFC Championship

The referees explained their decision for giving the Kansas City Chiefs another opportunity on third down in the AFC Championship Game.

The Kansas City Chiefs got some revenge on the Cincinnati Bengals. After being defeated by the AFC North team in the Conference Championship Game last year and hearing all the “Burrowhead” talk in the days leading up to the big game this year, the Chiefs got the last laugh. By defeating the Bengals 23-20, the Chiefs are heading to Super Bowl 57 in Arizona.

But in the AFC Championship Game, there was one controversial moment in a pivotal portion of the matchup. In the fourth quarter, Cincinnati’s defense stopped Kansas City’s offense on third-and-nine, seemingly setting up a punt. But, the referees announced that the play should have been stopped due to a game clock issue. So, that gave the Chiefs another shot on third-and-nine, and it infuriated the Bengals sideline and fanbase.

After the game, Pro Football Writers of America pool reporter Ben Baby spoke with referee Ron Tolbert and asked about the controversial third down. Tolbert explained what went down and why they decided to replay the down.

Referee explains why they allowed Chiefs a due-over on controversial third down in AFC Championship Game

"“On the previous play, there was an incomplete pass. We spotted the ball, but the line judge came in and re-spotted the ball because the spot was off,” said Tolbert. “We reset the play clock and the game clock started running. It should not have started running because there was an incomplete pass on the previous play. The field judge noticed that the game clock was running. He was coming in to shut the play down so that we could get the clock fixed and nobody heard him, and the play was run. After the play was over, he came in and we discussed that he was trying to shut the play down before the ball had been snapped. So, we rest the game clock back to where it was before that snap and replayed the third down.”"

Baby then asked Tolbert what the protocols are when the referee can’t stop the play in time.

"“If we were trying to shut down the play and we couldn’t, we would shut it down and go back and replay the down.”"

After the Chiefs were rewarded with another shot on third down, the Bengals defense stopped them again. However, boisterous Bengals cornerback Eli Apple was called for holding, which gave the Chiefs a fresh set of downs. Luckily for Cincinnati, however, they were able to stop Kansas City on that drive, and get the football back on a punt.

However, luck ran out for the Bengals on the final drive of the game. On third down, quarterback Patrick Mahomes rolled to the outside for a first down, but second-year defensive end Joseph Ossai shoved him while he was well out of bounds. That gave the Chiefs an additional 15 yards on an unnecessary roughness penalty, and set Harrison Butker up for the game-winning, 45-yard field goal.

The game is done. While Bengals fans may not be happy with the explanation, the result is final. But, the future is bright for Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the Chiefs look to win their second Super Bowl in four years but will have to beat the Philadelphia Eagles to do so.