3 painfully obvious calls refs got horribly wrong to screw Jets vs. Chiefs
When the New York Jets went down 17-0 against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football, it looked like they were dead in the water. But give Zach Wilson and his teammates credit. They fought back to tie the game and had hopes of pulling off the comeback win late. They just needed a defensive stop to get the ball back with a chance to tie or win.
It was easier said than done to get Patrick Mahomes off the field though. That's partly because it felt like every key call seemed to go the Chiefs' way. The refs certainly played a part in how it all went down in the end.
Kansas City came away with a 23-20 win as Mahomes and company successfully ran out the clock but three head-scratching calls in the fourth quarter will have Jets fans fuming into next week.
No. 3 missed call as refs screwed Jets vs. Chiefs: Intentional grounding
Refs let Mahomes get away with intentional grounding here. #KCvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/dpPxl4unw9
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) October 2, 2023
The first bad call to discuss wasn't on the Chiefs' game-winning drive to kill the clock. It was on the drive before when Kansas City kicked the go-ahead field goal.
Mahomes was wrapped up by a defender when he simply tossed the ball away to avoid the sack. He was in the tackle box and his throw didn't make it to the line of scrimmage, obvious markers for an intentional grounding penalty. But the refs didn't assess the penalty because they ruled running back Isaiah Pacheco was in the area.
It was a generous interpretation of the rule that benefited Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. Pacheco was there but the quarterback had no hope of actually completing that pass. The refs let him get away with one.
Instead of facing a 10-yard penalty and loss of down, pushing KC back to the 23 yard line, the Chiefs got to kick a chipshot to take the lead.