The Kansas City Chiefs were given a gift in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.
After Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was sacked by Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonitto for an 11-yard loss on third down, Kansas City would have been looking at a very long field goal attempt (or, perhaps more likely, a punt) if not for a controversial penalty.
Denver safety Brandon Jones was penalized for illegal contact, giving the Chiefs an automatic first down. Instead of fourth-and-20 from the 44-yard line, Kansas City was given a first down at the 28-yard line.
The Chiefs went on to score a touchdown and the penalty sparked outrage from both fans and pundits on social media. In a game that ended up being decided by just two points, that seven-point swing was crucial.
The All-22 film became available on Monday and the call remains questionable at best. Jones is the safety in the top middle of the screen wearing No. 22:
This is just a pathetic flag from the refs against Brandon Jones. Game altering. pic.twitter.com/QFuJGtYSuO
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) November 11, 2024
It was minimal contact, the kind of routine coverage that happens on many plays without flags.
The Broncos had chances to win the game later, and blaming the officials won’t change the outcome of the game, but that was a blatantly bad call.
