Yet another late-game call came under scrutiny following Super Bowl LVII, another sign that fans and media are growing frustrated with NFL officiating.
The Big Game saw the Kansas City Chiefs claim the Lombardi Trophy with a 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. But a fourth-quarter penalty shined the wrong kind of spotlight on the zebras once again.
Philly cornerback James Bradberry was called for defensive holding on Juju Smith-Schuster with the score tied 35-35 with just 1:54 remaining, Kansas City was in the midst of a critical third down in Eagles’ territory to keep their drive alive. Although they were already safely in field goal position, the flag and first down allowed KC to run out some more clock.
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While Harrison Butker’s game-winning field goal seemed almost inevitable, the extra set of downs ensured that there would be almost no time remaining when the Guys in Green finally got the ball back. It went down just like that, with a desperation play failing in the end, and the Chiefs celebrating the franchise’s third Super Bowl title.
The outcome notwithstanding, the call definitely got its fair share of attention.
.@Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker scored the Super Bowl-winning Field Goal with a 27-yard effort late in the fourth quarter.#SBLVII #TopPlays #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/0pKiEPer1T
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During the Super Bowl broadcast, FOX Commentator Greg Olsen criticized the penalty right away.
“On this stage, I think you let them play, finish this thing out,” Olsen, a former Pro Bowl tight end, said. “I don’t love that call.”
This week, critics and observers alike took issue with the play. The main complaint seemed to be the timing of a close call in that situation – late in a Super Bowl. Yet there were others who wondered if it was even a penalty after all, or merely a ‘phantom call.’
It was shades of two weeks ago when the Chiefs were also allegedly ‘gifted’ a play from the officials during the closing moments of the AFC Championship Game.
That prompted calls from some conspiracy theorists to float the idea that the NFL is ‘rigged.’ Their absurd assertion is that The League is scripted, like professional wrestling or some kind of sports soap opera.
Despite all the supposed controversy, the man who was called for holding says that he truly was guilty.
“It was a holding,” James Bradberry told reporters after the game. “I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide.”
James Bradberry takes responsibility for the holding call:
“It was a hold, so they called it”
🎥: @Tim_McManuspic.twitter.com/K4feIWJj67
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 13, 2023
The Main Man with The Whistle agreed with Bradberry’s self-assessment. Referee Carl Cheffers said that there was no doubt it was a penalty.
“The receiver went to the inside, and he was attempting to release to the outside,” Cheffers said. “The defender grabbed the jersey with his right hand and restricted him from releasing to the outside. So, therefore, we called defensive holding.”
Cheffers added, “It was a clear case of a jersey grab that caused restriction.”
While this one penalty certainly didn’t cost the Eagles the game and Kansas City was likely going to win anyway, that won’t stop the critics.
Even with the player in question and the referee offering a reasonable explanation, this debate will likely linger forever among football fans.