News

Denver Broncos Say Refs Admitted Blown Delay of Game No-Call During Chiefs’ Game-Winning Drive

The Denver Broncos believe time ran out on the Kansas City Chiefs on a pivotal play in Kansas City’s game-winning drive Monday night.

Refs Blow Call In chiefs’ Final Drive

With the Chiefs down 23-20 and marching downfield, they snapped the ball and quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit Demetrius Harris for a 35-yard pass. That would set up the game-winning Kareem Hunt touchdown four plays later.

Except, the pass to Harris shouldn’t have happened. The Chiefs should have been flagged for a play-clock violation after failing to snap the ball.

“It definitely was at zero. The replay showed that,” Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall said. “The ref told us that the ref that was supposed to be watching it just missed it. … He told us that. The ref told us the guy that was supposed to be watching the clock just missed it.”

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Replays, including those shown on the stadium’s video boards, seemed to show the play clock at zero before the ball was snapped.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“My opinion, the clock was on zero,” Broncos coach Vance Joseph said. “But that’s not my job. … And he said he looked up and it was zero and the ball was gone. I disagree. I disagree.”

Broncos cornerback Chris Harris said he pleaded with the refs to overturn the situation on replay but was told it wasn’t reviewable.

“That was crazy, man,” Harris said. “It was zero seconds on the clock forever. … You can’t review it. I asked everything. If a ref messed up on a call, you should be able to fix it. Dude, look how long the clock was on zero. That’s not why we lost the game — but that was a huge, huge no-call.”

Even if Denver doesn’t completely stop Mahomes, there’s still a chance they get the ball back with the game tied after a field goal and roughly two minutes left.

Instead, they got the ball with 1:39 remaining and down 27-23. Kansas City remains undefeated.

Bill Piersa

Recent Posts

Naturalized Mexican Julián Quiñones Leads Mexico Past South Africa in World Cup Opener

Mexico began its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa…

1 day ago

Lionel Messi Scores In Pre-Tournament Friendly As World Cup Expectations Continue To Grow

Lionel Messi marked his return to Argentina's national team with a goal, providing another reminder…

1 day ago

Chicago White Sox’s Braden Montgomery Shows Why He’s In The Big Leagues Now

Braden Montgomery powered the Chicago White Sox with a two-home run performance, delivering one of…

3 days ago

Managerial Changes Across Europe’s Top Football Leagues

Several of Europe's biggest football clubs are entering the 2026-27 season under new leadership, with…

3 days ago

After Knicks Make NBA History With Biggest Finals’ Game Comeback, Spurs Struggle To Figure Out How They Lost Game 4

In one of the most remarkable games in recent memory, the New York Knicks moved…

3 days ago

Deion Sanders Faces Pressure To Turn Around Colorado Buffaloes

The transition from college football to the NFL is one of the most uncertain periods…

4 days ago