Edit: update - Torn ACL per ESPN.
Yikes, guy doesn’t deserve that, no one deserves that
Oof.
Hate the chiefs but this still sucks
The only plus in all this is that, for the first time in a decade, the Chiefs will actually get to heal and rest in the off-season. And no matter the severity of this injury, it gives the Chiefs cover to shut Mahomes down for the season and let him heal.
The draft will be very interesting, with Kelce likely departing, though Noah Gray’s shown some good flashes of offense in his career. It’s also pretty clear that it’s time to get rid of Pacheco, Hunt, and CEH and find a running back that is a better fit for this offense.
I did find it a tad annoying to see the Chargers, seemingly from the first play, clearly running a dirty hit/Legion of Boom strategy, and even more annoyed that it worked, but oh well. The LoB strategy was just to commit penalties on every play and effectively dare the refs to call them all, and most of the time it worked.
The LoB strategy was just to commit penalties on every play and effectively dare the refs to call them all, and most of the time it worked.
I think this is a poor take, and would like to remind you of this quality reffing that benefited the Chiefs
This isn’t a complaint about the refs. The refs are always in a tough spot in a division game.
If you watched the game, the LoB strategy was clear from the first play, when a Chargers player deliberately went low on the right tackle. It continued unabated throughout the game, eventually resulting in the expulsion of a Chargers player. (Who totally made himself look not dirty by making an obscene gesture at the crowd.) In the NFL, it takes a whole lot of dirty play to merit an expulsion.
The Chargers also have a proven cheater as a head coach, so it’s not a stretch to conclude that this was fully intentional and part of the team’s game strategy.
I would also add that you should look at the penalty stats before trying to make a case for or against beneficial officiating.
The teams that benefited the most from penalties in 2024, for example, were the Bills and Vikings, not the Chiefs. I haven’t looked at the stats for this year, but given the state of things, it’s probably safe to assume that the reffing hasn’t particularly benefited the Chiefs with any consistency.
Speaking of checking the stats, the LoB Seahawks were the most penalized team over that run, so even if that was the strategy, it wasn’t very effective.
I live close enough to Missouri that I get all their games. They get so many calls that tip the game in their favor. Penalty stats be damned. Watch the damn games.
It worked pretty well today, unfortunately.
Looking up penalty stats will tell you that the Chiefs commit more penalties than other teams. What it won’t tell you is whether the Chiefs get bad calls in their favor, and whether they happen at critical moments of the game.
I live close enough to Missouri that I get all their games. They get so many calls that tip the game in their favor. Penalty stats be damned. Watch the damn games.
Sure. Your perception, likely algorithmically-driven, is absolutely correct.
I have no doubt.
