I don’t think the issue here is the holding call from Sunday’s New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs game, although it was a questionable flag at best on Sauce Gardner downfield.
The issue that everyone’s pointing to is the fact that the flag came out from a referee way too late.
The Chiefs faced a 3rd-and-20 up three with over four minutes left. Patrick Mahomes stepped back and threw an interception to Michael Carter II … but Sauce Gardner was flagged for holding downfield, wiping out the INT and giving the Chiefs a key third down. But the flag came out AFTER the interception!
See for yourself:
That flag toss was a little late by the 🦓…pic.twitter.com/Ny9xpT8LWL
— Darius Butler (@DariusJButler) October 2, 2023
Throwing the flag for defensive holding after the INT is just terrible 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/yQ4Ys6tnXh
— uSTADIUM App (@uSTADIUM) October 2, 2023
Crazy how the refs didn't throw his flag until he saw the Jets intercept the ball. Weak holding call. #Rigged #KCvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/8rKjitkP1n
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) October 2, 2023
Cris Collinsworth called out the questionable nature of the call:
"Um. We've seen a lot of contact downfield tonight. We have seen a very physical approach out of the New York Jets. And we've seen a lot more than THAT, that wasn't called."- Cris Collinsworth on the Jets being called for defensive holding on the Chiefs' 3rd-and-20 #SNF pic.twitter.com/K5gerpQmRb
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 2, 2023
And Gardner noted how late it came out:
Sauce Gardner on the BS holding call:
“The receiver ran into me, there was a collision, same thing that was happening all game, & they threw no flags. Pat threw the ball outside the receiver, MC was there, he made the play, then the ref threw the flag. Me personally, that’s like… pic.twitter.com/U98FrSDgTk
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) October 2, 2023
Between this and the blatant missed holding call on the Chiefs, Jets fans are MAD and rightfully so.
