NEW ORLEANS – The pinnacle of the union representing NFL officers known as allegations that officiating crews are biased in favor of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs or another staff “insulting and preposterous.”
NFL Referees Affiliation govt director Scott Inexperienced launched an announcement on Tuesday thanking Commissioner Roger Goodell for dismissing the allegations and responding to “conspiracy theories” on social media about favoritism to the Chiefs.
“Commissioner Goodell’s feedback that it’s ‘ridiculous’ to presume that NFL officers usually are not doing all the things potential to make the appropriate name on each play is spot on,” Inexperienced stated. “Officiating crews don’t work the identical staff greater than twice every common season. It’s insulting and preposterous to listen to conspiracy theories that someway 17 officiating crews consisting of 138 officers are colluding to help one staff.”
A handful of high-profile calls within the playoffs which have gone in Kansas Metropolis’s favor have fueled the theories of favoritism, with Houston getting penalized for 2 unlawful hits on Patrick Mahomes within the divisional spherical and Josh Allen being dominated simply wanting changing a fourth-and-1 sneak in Kansas Metropolis’s 32-29 victory over Buffalo within the AFC championship sport.
However a deeper have a look at all penalties reveals no indicators of systematic bias. The Chiefs have been penalized for 120 extra yards than their opponents within the common season and playoffs because the begin of the 2022 playoffs.
Kansas Metropolis has additionally benefited from 10 fewer first downs by penalty on third or fourth down in that span and has had solely a small edge in penalty-yard differential within the fourth quarter or time beyond regulation of shut video games.
“There are a lot of issues that followers can fear about over a 17-game season, reminiscent of teaching choices, participant accidents, the climate and, sure, even shut calls on unimaginable performs made by unimaginable athletes,” Inexperienced stated. “However you may relaxation assured that on each single down, NFL officers, each on the sector and within the replay sales space, are doing all the things humanly potential to officiate each play accurately.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Copyright 2025 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials will not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.