The Chiefs opened their account for the new season with a win over the Ravens, but it wasn’t without its share of controversies. The referees have been at the receiving end of accusations of siding with Kansas City and allowing them to get away with little things. This time it involved letting DC Steve Spagnuolo get away with calling an illegal timeout, which has irked many in the NFL World.
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Per the NFL rules, only the Head Coach can call a timeout and if any of the coordinators want a timeout taken, he needs to communicate that to the HC. However, with the Ravens at 2nd & Goal with less than ten seconds left on the clock in the 2nd Quarter, Spags called a timeout to sort out a defensive issue, creating confusion among the players and fans alike.
NBC Rules Analyst Terry McCaulay called the Chiefs out for allowing their DC to call a timeout, stating that he can’t call one. However, the refs allowed the timeout to proceed rather than penalizing the team.
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This incident did not go well with the fans, who immediately called the NFL rigged in favor of the Chiefs. Many expressed their frustration, asserting that Kansas City had bribed the officials. Others pointed out the bias and stated that only the Chiefs seemed to get away with illegal plays.
A few noted other calls that went against the Ravens but were not penalized. However, many defended the winning team, calling out the haters and urging the fans to stop whining, stating that the Chiefs had simply outplayed the Ravens.
— Josh McCaffrey (@JoshMcCaff911) September 6, 2024
Others commented,
— Josh McCaffrey (@JoshMcCaff911) September 6, 2024
With several calls going against the Ravens and a bitter dramatic ending, the bad blood between the two sides from last year’s AFC Game spilled over after the match, with Roquan Smith at the center of it.
Ravens-Chiefs Beef Worsens Post Week 1 Match-Up
The Ravens came to Arrowhead hoping to take revenge for last season’s AFC Championship game loss at home. Tensions were already running high. So when the match ended dramatically, with Baltimore’s game-tying Touchdown being called off after Isaiah Likely failed to remain within bounds, things got more heated.
As reported by KC Kingdom, Roquan Smith, the Ravens LB, issued a warning for the Chiefs in his post-match comments. Addressing an incident from the match, Smith stated that he didn’t get a flag for his hit on Mahomes because the 2-time MVP was trying to milk the situation by needlessly flopping on the sidelines.
He then called out Kansas City’s no.88, TE Peyton Hendershot, who wasn’t on the field then, but came to his QB’s rescue and cheekily pushed Smith for his late hit. The Linebacker asserted that he would deal with him next time.
“He flopped that’s why they didn’t call it. Great no call. But whoever 88 is better watch himself. He did a little slick push. Whoever he is, I’ll see him when I see him.”
As Mahomes was already out of bounds by the time Roquan body-checked him, it was clearly a late hit. However, the Chiefs and their QB won’t care as they got the last laugh and got their season up and running. They now take on Joe Burrow and the Bengals in week 2 at Arrowhead on the 15th of September. The Ravens host the Raiders at home.
