SCREAMIN’ FROM THE CHEAP SEATS. So, who am I screamin’ at today? Well, let’s get loud on any referees working a Kansas City Chiefs game. 

You would surmise that, after the criticism the zebras and the NFL received following last week’s Divisional round games involving KC against the visiting Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium when some extremely questionable calls went in favor of the home team, The Shield would immediately have had a heart-to-heart with the officiating crew that was going to work the game with the Buffalo Bills coming to town to take on the Chiefs in the AFC Championship contest to ensure that optic of favoritism doesn’t surface. Sadly, it looked like it did and often. 

The biggest example of that was a call that should have gone for the Bills that went in favor of the Chiefs. On a 4th and 1 early in the 4th quarter, Buffalo QB Josh Allen tried to run a QB sneak for the first down. The one official who was able to see the football marked it ahead of the line to gain. The referee on the other side of the field who couldn’t see the pigskin because Allen’s back was to him spotted the ball short of the line and the crew went with his opinion. After a review the ruling on the field stood which means it wasn’t confirmed but there wasn’t enough video evidence to overturn the call.

Even worse was the Bills interception that was ruled a simultaneous catch. Buffalo defender has two hands on the ball and the Chiefs receiver has only one when they hit the ground. Instead of a turnover Kansas City is inside the 10-yard line and scores a significant touchdown that would figure exponentially in the final outcome.

This so reminded me of Super Bowl XL when  the Steelers beat the Seahawks. Pittsburgh received some extremely questionable calls and it looked like the NFL wanted to reward retiring Black & Gold RB Jerome Bettis with a Lombardi Trophy at the expense of Seattle. 

In fact, Seahawks HC Mike Holmgren made this statement on Monday after returning to Seattle and I quote,

“We knew it was going to be tough going against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well." 

The fact that Coach Mike was not fined and when veteran official Billy Leavy said in August when discussing the tilt that he officiated and again I quote,

"I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official, you never want to do that.” 

The NFL cannot afford another debacle like Super Bowl XL where the officiating is critically scrutinized by every media member especially with public opinion swaying toward the league favoring the Chiefs. Hopefully the outcome won’t come down to a yellow piece of laundry or two on the turf at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on February 9th. If it does, the criticism will be coming from everywhere and it will be loud. Book it Dano!