Deluge of Bad Calls During Packers-Chiefs Ending Was Terrible For Viewers, Great For Terry McAulay

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs at a snowy Lambeau Field last night by the score of 27-19. Everything about that sentence and what it implies (namely, Patrick Mahomes in a one-score game in the snow at the NFL's most historic stadium) suggests it should've been a classic football game. Instead the general reception the morning after has been mostly focused on the shortcomings of the referees. And justifiably so.

The final minute of the game was marred by horrible calls that went against both teams. Consequentially, the flow of the game was totally destroyed and what should've been an exciting final drive from Mahomes and the Chiefs became a sideshow to the officiating. It was terrible for everybody-- except for one Terry McAulay, NBC Sports Rules Analyst. McAulay got more screentime in 20 minutes last night than he does in an average month's worth of games. What's more, McAulay did what we all thought was impossible and endeared himself to the audience by disagreeing with what the referees were doing each time they brought him on the broadcast during this stretch. The calls were so obviously terrible that it's not like McAulay was being bold by doing so, but years of experience have taught the viewers that the retired referee is more likely to agree with his former colleagues on the field rather than making them look bad by calling them out for being wrong.

It took literally one play for the shenanigans to start. After the Chiefs received the kickoff and Mahomes threw an incomplete pass, he scrambled on second down and got hit as he was heading out of bounds. The Packers defender was flagged for what the referees initially announced was a late hit-- but it was absolutely not a late hit. By any stretch of the imagination.

This was McAulay's first appearance during the drive and he immediately called it as he saw it. There was no penalty on the play and no flag should've been thrown.

On the next play, Mahomes completed a pass to Rashee Rice. Rice fumbled but was clearly down. The referees let them play on and the Packers returned the ball for a touchdown before they reviewed and overruled it. This would have been unremarkable if it did not lead to the ejection of Isaiah Pacheco, who threw a punch at a Green Bay player during the return. So while Pacheco's ejection was not a bad call by any means, and there's nobody to blame but Pacheco, he wouldn't have been in that position if the officials got it right. But they did not.

The play after that led to the most egregious call of the evening. Mahomes target Marqus Valdes-Scantling on a deep post pattern. The Packers defender leapt way, way, way too early to defend the pass and nailed MVS mid-air a full second before the pass arrived. Yet there was no call. McAulay was called on again as Cris Collinsworth bemoaned the msitake and nailed it again.

On the next down Mahomes completed a short pass that somehow didn't involve a terrible decision by an official so it was an unremarkable eight-yard gain and therefore a reprieve from the whistle. Which did not last long. Mahomes found MVS again for a first down on the following play, but the refs screwed it up again. They ruled the Chiefs wideout had made it out of bounds and therefore the clock stopped at 24 seconds, but anybody with eyes could tell you his forward progress was clearly halted before he got to the line. The clock should've kept running. And yet!

All this culminated in the final play of the game, a Hail Mary from Mahomes. Travis Kelce went up for the ball in the end zone and was clearly shoved in the back. On a normal play that draws a flag. On a Hail Mary, though, it is almost impossible to get a ref to call pass interference. Which is how most fans would prefer it, but for these officials to swallow the whistle after everything that just transpired was... difficult to watch.

McAulay, again, was there to give it to us plain.

A brutal night for active referees, but a great one for the retired McAulay. He did an excellent job and helped assure the viewers that they were not crazy, the officials were just terrible. Which is what the job should be.