Refs in Chiefs-Patriots game give Bill Belichick a taste of his own medicine

Bill Belichick is getting a taste of his own medicine from the refs in the Chiefs-Patriots game.

The officials in Monday night’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots left everyone scratching their heads after making an interesting call (we use the word “interesting” here to keep things light) on an apparent turnover by Patrick Mahomes. It’s the sort of call (or non-call) that the Patriots seemed to get year after year when Tom Brady was their quarterback.

First, it’s important to check out the play in question, which came in the second quarter.

There are several things wrong here. In this play, Mahomes goes back on a 3rd-and-4 and is somehow having to dodge multiple pass rushers from the Patriots defensive line, who rushed—wait for it—only three players. Three.

Here’s a closer look at the play.

From there, Chase Winovich brings him down for what looks like a sack, but Mahomes decides he’s going to try to get rid of the ball here instead of going down. Deatrich Wise, Jr. is able to bring him down from behind and knocks the ball free, which then makes it look like a clear fumble. Even then it’s not over.

Linebacker Shilique Calhoun then enters the picture and actually grabs the ball before it touches the ground from Mahomes’ hand. That makes it an interception instead of a mere fumble, and Calhoun is off to the races to run it back several yards until suddenly a whistle is blown.

When all is said and done, the refs have decided Mahomes was in the grasp and that it was forward progress on the pass he was making. Winovich gets credit for a 7-yard sack and that’s it.

Bill Belichick is understandably furious at all of this. The refs got everything wrong on the play. No turnover was called. The play was ruled dead for some weird reason. The Chiefs got away with the sort of one-sided call that seems favored to protect the NFL’s favorite son—except this time, he doesn’t happen to play for the Chiefs.

For the Chiefs, they got lucky and punted the ball before Belichick could even get his head on straight enough to challenge the play.

For the Patriots, it feels a bit karmic to have them lose out on a call like this.