The Kansas City Chiefs maintained their undefeated record in a tense 22-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, but it was the officiating, not the score, that became the main post-game talking point.
For the second week in a row, fans voiced frustration over what they saw as favorable officiating toward the defending Super Bowl champions.
Video of Travis Kelce looking distant on Chiefs sideline while Taylor Swift missed the game
What happened at the end of the Chiefs vs Falcons game?
The Falcons, trailing by five with less than five minutes remaining, were driving deep into Chiefs territory when controversy struck.
On a pivotal 3rd-and-5 play, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins aimed a pass at tight end Kyle Pitts in the end zone.
As the ball sailed toward Pitts, Chiefs defensive back Bryan Cook appeared to wrap his arms around the tight end’s waist, preventing him from making the catch.
Despite the apparent contact, no pass interference flag was thrown, a decision that immediately drew the ire of Falcons fans and neutral viewers alike.
The missed call allowed Kansas City to maintain their lead, and although the Falcons got one final chance with the ball later in the game, the Chiefs defense held firm to secure the win.
NFL fans call out refs help in Chiefs win
The controversy surrounding the non-call on Pitts quickly dominated social media, with NFL fans voicing their displeasure.
One fan tweeted, “Kyle Pitts gets bear-hugged during this catch attempt, and the refs still don’t call a penalty for pass interference.”
“How do the Chiefs keep getting away with this?” Another wrote,
“Bengals CB plays the ball and gets called for PI. Chiefs commit textbook PI… no flag. This is becoming a pattern,” could also be read in the comments.
The outrage was amplified by the fact that this was not the first time the Chiefs have benefited from a questionable call.
Just a week earlier, a defensive pass interference penalty on the Bengals helped position Kansas City for a game-winning field goal, further fueling the narrative that the Chiefs often get the benefit of the doubt from officials.
When asked about the non-call, head referee Tra Blake defended the decision, stating, “That is a real-time call that officials have to make a judgment on. From the angle that they had at the time, they did not feel there was a foul committed.”
He added that such decisions often come down to a split-second judgment, emphasizing
the difficulty of making those calls in real-time.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris avoided commenting on the officiating, responding with a bit of humor.
“I like my money,”Morris said, referencing potential fines for criticizing officials.
“They made the call, or they didn’t make the call. It is what it is. We had a chance to win the football game on the last play of the game.”
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, meanwhile, expressed a desire to have the play back, acknowledging the frustration but accepting some responsibility for the outcome.
“In hindsight, if I could have the play over again, I either would have gotten to Kyle earlier or put the ball up higher and not really put it in the refs’ hands,” Cousins remarked after the game.
The Falcons, now 1-2, had another chance after the no-call, driving to Kansas City’s 13-yard line before back-to-back unsuccessful plays on the ground sealed their fate.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, improved to 3-0, though the cloud of officiating controversy once again followed them off the field.
