When it was all said and done Sunday in Minneapolis, too many little things cost the Vikings as they fell to 1-4 with a 27-20 loss to the Chiefs. But it’s impossible to look away from the wounds that weren’t self-inflicted.
Namely three penalties Kansas City may have gotten away with on the critical fourth-down play as Minnesota gasped for life late in the game. Technically, it was two possible penalties on the play and one more after the play was dead. We’re talking about the 4th-and-12 situation the Vikings found themselves in with 4:54 left in the game.
Kirk Cousins dropped back to pass and the refs appeared to have missed a rather obvious hands to the face penalty that could’ve been called on Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill. The replay shows Tranquill’s hand shoving C.J. Ham’s head backwards.
4th and 12 for Minnesota led to some wild adventures with the officiating
One that seemed to go entirely overlooked (among many) is the facemask happening right here, which the broadcast didn’t even acknowledge pic.twitter.com/2TKofnNosK
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) October 8, 2023
If that flag is thrown, it’s an automatic first down and the Vikings have the ball 1st-and-10 at the KC 19-yard line. Instead, Cousins threw incomplete to Jordan Addison and it was a turnover on downs. But the refs did throw a flag for pass interference on L’Jarius Snead for preventing Addison from relocating to the ball.
And then Snead took his helmet off after the whistle, which is supposed to be a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt was flagged for the same penalty after he stripped Lamar Jackson to seal a win over the Ravens earlier Sunday.
The #Chiefs got away with a pass interference AND L’Jarius Sneed not getting a penalty for taking his helmet off…
What is going on? pic.twitter.com/dL3vv8v1v3
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 8, 2023
Had the pass interference penalty stuck, the Vikings would’ve been 1st-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Had the penalty been called on Snead for removing his helmet, the Chiefs would’ve had the ball but they would’ve been starting from their own 12-yard line (half the distance to the goal) rather than the 24.
What’s drawing in more controversy is that one of the refs appeared to tell Snead to put his helmet back on, thus giving him a pass rather than throwing the flag. Preferential treatment for the Chiefs?
“Put your helmet on”
#NFL
Unbelievable pic.twitter.com/Cs65Zn1nho
— Bull Run (@run_bull_) October 8, 2023
Related: Kevin O’Connell updates Jefferson injury, gives thoughts on refs
