Andy Reid Did Not See False Start That Erased Chiefs’ Apparent Touchdown

• Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he did not see the false start on right tackle Jaylon Moore that erased an apparent go-ahead touchdown in the Broncos’ 28-24 win on Sunday, per CBS Sports.
• The flag moved Kansas City from the 1-yard line to the 6, and Malcolm Roach sacked Patrick Mahomes to end the game.
• The Chiefs have lost two straight after a 5-0 start, and Denver took first place in the AFC West.

Fifteen Seconds, One Flag and a Goal-Line Drive That Never Finished

The Kansas City Chiefs needed one yard on Sunday, and for a moment they appeared to have it. Trailing the Denver Broncos 28-24 with 15 seconds left, Patrick Mahomes faced fourth-and-1 from the Broncos’ 1-yard line, and it appeared he hit Rashee Rice across the middle for the winning touchdown. Then a flag hit the field. The officials called a false start on right tackle Jaylon Moore and moved the Chiefs back five yards to the 6. Malcolm Roach sacked Mahomes to end the game. Afterward, Chiefs coach Andy Reid was asked about the call. He answered with a chuckle.

Two Movements, One Whistle

The drive itself had been a fight. A 24-13 Kansas City lead turned into a 28-24 deficit in the fourth quarter, and Mahomes still took the offense to the Denver 1. On second-and-goal he could not find a receiver and threw the ball away. On third down, Kenneth Walker III was stuffed by JL Skinner. That set up the fourth-and-1.

The penalty is the controversy, and flags have drawn coaches’ complaints before, such as Harbaugh’s rare helmet flag question. With 10 seconds on the play clock, Moore appeared to shift in his stance just a bit. Then he turned his head to the left. Which of those two movements drew the whistle is the open question.

Reid, in his postgame press conference, did not claim to know.

“I didn’t see it,” Reid said with a chuckle. “But that’s one man’s opinion. I saw him move his head, but I didn’t see a false start.”

Moore was not sure either when he spoke with reporters in the locker room.

“I mean I’ve got to go back and look at it, still haven’t got a chance to look at it,” Moore said. “But regardless, I’ve just got to be better.”

The Kick Earlier in the Quarter

The flag was one of two swings. With Kansas City up 24-21 in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs had driven to the Denver 30 and faced third-and-2. Mahomes was sacked for a six-yard loss, which turned a 48-yard field goal try into a 54-yarder. Reid sent out kicker Harrison Butker instead of punting or going for it. Fourth-down decisions were already a talking point after Dan Campbell’s fourth-and-1 call in Detroit a week earlier. Butker missed wide right, and the Broncos scored what became the winning touchdown two plays later. A make would have stretched the lead to six.

It was Butker’s third significant miss in two weeks. In the previous loss, to the Seattle Seahawks, he missed two field goal attempts.

Reid defended the decision after the game. “Those are hindsight. It ended up being what it was,” he said. “But it’s within Harrison’s range.”

What It Leaves the Chiefs

The Chiefs opened the season 5-0 and have now dropped two in a row. Mahomes is 80-3 when holding a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, and Sunday was his third career loss in that spot, playoffs included. Denver, which rallied from that 24-13 deficit and finished with a goal-line stand, now sits atop the AFC West.

Kansas City hosts the New York Jets on Sunday, Nov. 8. Moore still had not watched the play when he spoke, and his coach had not seen a false start. The film is next.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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