Chargers' Game-Winning Touchdown vs. Chiefs Was an Officiating Mess
By Henry McKenna
Where to begin?
During the Los Angeles Chargers’ 29-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, the officiating on the game-winning touchdown felt about as sound as Stephen A. Smith’s take highlighting the impending matchup between Hunter Henry (on IR) and Derrick Johnson (a free agent).
It takes a few bullet points to break down the issues. First, give the play a look.
Officials called Mike Willians’ 1-yard catch a touchdown. In the process, they missed an obvious offensive pass interference call. And it was the kind of controversial play where the officials would have probably stuck with whatever call was made on the field. The officials ruled the play a catch, so it stood. Had they called it an incompletion (or an offensive pass interference), the play would have probably resulted in third down with four seconds remaining. From this perspective, it seem like he didn’t have possession until he was out of bounds.
Once the play stood as a touchdown, the Chargers converted a 2-point conversion to Williams. As a result, the AFC West has gotten interesting, with two of the best teams in the NFL fighting for the top seed in the conference.