The Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs played a tight one in Week 5 with the Chiefs pulling off a 27-20 victory. To put it simply, the game was not without controversy.
One particular sequence in the decisive final minutes of the game had Vikings fans up in arms.
The Vikings faced a fourth-and-12 from the Kansas City 19-yard line when Kirk Cousins lobbed up a ball toward Jordan Addison in the endzone. The ball floated inside and Addison tried to come back for it but Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed was in the way. In the moment, the ref threw a flag for apparent pass interference.
REFS PICK UP THE FLAG! pic.twitter.com/3TF7hEgWKS
ā Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) October 8, 2023
However, the officials huddled up and emerged with a declaration that no pass interference had been committed.
The PI as originally called would have extended the Vikings' drive and put them right at the goal line with a chance to tie. Rescinding the flag was a huge moment in the game.
All the while, fans noted that Sneed took off his helmet while arguing with the officials after the initial flag. Removing your helmet in the field of play is a penalty. But the refs just told the defender to put his helmet back on and never dropped a flag.
I almost respect how little the refs care about optics at this point
ā Tony Clements (@TonyCMKE) October 8, 2023
Two of them looked right at Sneed take off his helmet and said āPut that back on people can see you!ā#Vikings pic.twitter.com/UllwWaNWET
Technically, removing your helmet on the field is an unsportsmanlike conduct foul. If the Chiefs had been hit with that penalty, they would have gained possession but started at the 12-yard line instead of the 24. Since the Vikings forced a punt and got the ball back with 1:07 remaining at their own 19-yard line, those yards might have mattered.
Some Vikings fans were convinced the game was rigged. Others just couldn't believe the calls. Everyone was fuming either way.
Vikings fans call out NFL refs for calls that aided Chiefs
āItās a grey area right thereā - Tony Romo regarding a player taking off his helmet right after the play
ā Football Analysis (@FBallAnalysisYT) October 8, 2023
No Tony, itās not. Itās black and white. Youāre not allowed to do that
I know youāre still hurt about a 31 point playoff loss against the Vikings, but you can acknowledgeā¦
The @NFL is a joke. Iāve been posting for years itās like WWE wrestling. Itās not REAL. Refs pick up a PI flag, ball NOT tipped, Hands to the face NOT called, Helmet removal NOT called. #fake #vikings pic.twitter.com/QF3yBSJlbA
ā Knights Templar (@SirMadMav) October 8, 2023
Refs cheated my Vikingsā¦.. That was a PI. And he took his helmet off before the change of possession. The ref told him put his helmet on š¤¦š½āāļø
ā GR8NESSā¢ (@GregoryTheGr8) October 8, 2023
The referee just told the KC player to put his helmet back on (because thatās a flag) and none was thrown. That stinks to high heaven. Thatās a 15 yard penalty; why does it feel like the Chiefs always seem to get away with crap like this? #Vikings thatās inexplicably bad.
ā David Tukesbreyš (@DavidTukesbrey) October 8, 2023
KC is the new GB....every call goes their way. That was PI 100% and no helmet call? #vikings
ā A2Z1954 (@MiconWilliam) October 8, 2023
In the end, Cousins and company couldn't find the endzone when they needed to. The quarterback took a sack before he could let loose a Hail Mary attempt.