Klatt on Super Bowl Late Holding Call: Bad Call

That was a soft call and KC got bailed out. If I was a conspiracy theorist, I would put that call next to some of the non-calls in the 4th Quarter of the AFC title game and say that the fix was in. Sadly, I don't think refs are good enough to fix games the way we think they can.

I mean it is the rule so I get throwing the flag, but like everything else in the NFL, the main issue is consistency. You call it one play but let it go or “don’t see it” the next, and unfortunately you called it in a high leverage moment that essentially iced the Super Bowl for KC.

Granted, there’s no guarantee Philly would’ve gone down the field and scored if they had that minute or so to work with, but now we’ll never get to know for sure. 

If you’re going to call it, fine. But call it every time. Or don’t call it at all. this whole “the refs didn’t see it” BS isn’t a good excuse. They’re paid to see this stuff, and if they can’t, then either hire more refs or find new ones. 

I've only watched a handful of his videos, but each time he has been spot on. Does a great job. I agree with his take on this topic. I do think he missed a couple points that contribute in general, if not specifically to the holding call at the end of the Super Bowl:

1. Athleticism - The players are so much more freakishly fast and athletic that this makes the game that much more difficult to officiate, as compared to 10, 20 years ago.
2. Emphasis on passing game - More passing plays, more plays with difficult calls to be made, higher chance of a mistake or controversial call. In today's game, it is not unheard of to have 50+ passes in a game by a QB. Not too long ago, 20 was about average, 30+ would have been a maximum.
3. Technology / HDTV - Watch a game from the 1990s on Youtube and look at the shit quality. Imagine how many bad or controversial calls were not even considered due to lack of replay, crystal clear images, zooming in to the nth degree.
4. Replay as a crutch - How many times do you feel in watching a game that refs are biased toward making a call a certain way with the knowledge "it can be reviewed if I screw this up"?

As usual Joel does a great job. And I agree, I feel like the Eagles got jobbed. Maybe they don't score, but we will never know since that opportunity was taken away from them.

A caller I heard on the radio put it best: it's like getting pulled over for going 65 in a 60. Technically illegal but still bullshit. 

Here's the thing that isn't mentioned much. Was it a hold? yep. However, what really drew the flag was Mahomes seeing the hold, making the throw, and then calling it out. I would almost guarantee that if Mahomes just looked over and saw a receiver not open and either ran or threw it away, it wouldn't have been called. The combo of it actually being a hold and then Mahomes throwing it and calling it out caused the result, which was correct in my opinion. 

This holding call is not why the Eagles lost the game.  Four plays after the holding call KC kicked a field goal.  Before the holding call KC was already well within field goal range because of a long run by Mahomes.  And lets not forget the Chiefs had 4 drives in the second half.  Three of these drives were 9+ play drives that ended in scores (2 TDs and a FG).  Where was that vaunted Eagles defense we had heard so much about?  The other drive?  A three play drive that covered 5 yards and ended in a touchdown set up by a 60+ yard punt return allowed by the Eagles.  The Eagles only managed three drives for two scores (A TD and a FG) and a three and out (I'm not counting a last second hail mary as a drive).  Did the holding call ensure the Eagles would continually be eaten alive by a simple short return motion that Jacksonville had executed against them earlier in the season?  Did it allow that punt return?  Did it allow the Mahomes run?  Did it make Hurts fumble the ball in the first half for a free TD for the Chiefs?  The Eagles lost the game, that is all.

The Eagles defender grabbed him twice in one route. That needs to be called.

I think people are confusing DPI and holding. Catchability of the ball does not matter for a holding call IIRC.

I would love to see a Venn diagram of Chief fans, people who bet on the Chiefs and posters here who think it was a good and justified call.

My guess is the three would completely overlap.

Neat.

The call was “technically correct” but also downy soft. He grabbed some jersey well before the pass and I think the impact on the receivers momentum was minimal. No, I don’t have and wasn’t looking for examples throughout the game, but given that this was the first defensive holding DPI called, I’m guessing there are a lot of “missed” calls out there. 

So let’s call it “borderline” - I don’t think it was so egregious that you can expect it to be called every time, but neither so innocent that you never expect it to be called. 

Given that it was borderline, I don’t think you make that call on that play. It’s not a game situation issue - I hate it when refs “swallow their whistles” at the end of the game. My issue is on that play, as it played out (and the flag didn’t come until the end of the play) I don’t think the penalty materially affected the outcome. Mahomes had nowhere to go and basically threw it away in the general direction of a receiver he hoped had been interfered with, and got rewarded for it. I’m not saying “don’t ever call a penalty unless it obviously changed the play” but if it’s a 50/50 call, and I’d say this was, that ought to be a determinant. 

Didn’t have a dog in the fight.  Thought it was a great game, and the officials were not screwing it up with a bunch of flags.  Then guy throws one on a borderline play that decides who wins the Super Bowl.  That is some bullshit.

how about don't be in a position where a borderline call could determine the outcome of the game.

Hurts self inflicted fumble and horrible punt coverage gave KC a very short field both times and resulted in 14 pts

Make a call, don't make a call 

But holding is a 'call it when it happens," not after you've already seen how the play unfolded.

You can go back to the 1st or 2nd quarter on a Chiefs 3rd down pass to Juju, and it was obvious that he was interfered with by an Eagles DB (can't recall if it was Bradberry) - no call. You could say the controversial call was a "makeup call" for earlier handsy DB plays. But you have a better case if you stick with the "consistency" argument - because that's the most important thing at the end of the game. Again, it was a "marginal" holding call in my opinion - and we all know now that it was clearly a hold. As a Chiefs fan, I'm happy. As a football fan - I wanted to see one more Eagles drive because up to that point, we're talking about one of (if not the) best Super Bowls of all time.

Was it a hold? 100%. That is all.  I love Greg Olsen and Klatt but the call during the game when he said he did not agree with it….dumb.  A hold is a hold and he got caught. it’s the right call whether you like it or not. 

There is an enormous difference in comparing his commentary about a review official overturning a call on the field that appears pretty damn inconclusive at its best (or affirmative of the on the field call at the worst) vs. a judgment call about a WR who was clearly grabbed and twisted coming out of his break.

I hate the thinking of letting things go at the end of the game and let the players on the field decide the outcome which if you are refusing to make a legitimate call, you are not letting the player decide. 

See the UVA vs. Duke basketball game - the officials first made the absolutely right call to call a foul with 0.0 seconds on the clock as difficult at that call was. Unfortunately they shot themselves in the dick by not knowing the rules and changing the call but they made the correct call first even though if it was any team other than Duke - every fan would be yelling because the refs shouldn't impact the game like that (btw - fuck Duke)

Im just surprised the field conditions arent being talked about more....we all saw Michigan and TCU slipping everywhere. 

Some super star is going to get hurt badly on that stupid wheeled out field....like wtf we doing here with that dumb thing

If I was owner of Cardinals that would be by next task on teh daily to-do list, burn that field, replace with anything proven to be better.

It's too bad the NFL doesn't have the money to hire and train full-time officials, so as to maybe prevent terrible calls or non-calls from impacting games. Oh, wait...

I agree w/ others in this thread who have brought up consistency. It's like how in basketball, a foul could be called on basically every play but the better referees call things roughly the same throughout any given game. You don't go from calling nothing all game, to calling that with the game on the line.

It's not like he bought the guy a burger or practiced too much...come on.

Don't you know real rule violations when you see them?

I think even a KC fan (which there are many of on this thread!) can agree: it ruined the game. Would have been a great ending otherwise, one way or the other.

There were 1.4 holding calls per game this year, that's a bad argument. 

Klatt is wrong 🤷

Klatt is dead on!  You don’t change how you officiate a game in the fourth quarter!  That’s a big issue!

That said, they took a score off the board by the chiefs, so that one evened out.  The catch-fumble-scoop-score was a good play, it was a catch and fumble!  
 

Tcu cfp game, don’t fumble, punch it in both times, don’t throw two pic 6”s and we dominate!  

It definitely ruined the game for me. It was such a good game and was heading for a classic finish, just like that it was literally done. On some soft whistle they weren’t calling all game. It had no impact on the play whatsoever. I bet JuJu didn’t even realize he touched him. I wasn’t really rooting for a team either, but that really annoyed me. It really felt like a bail out that guaranteed a Chiefs win barring something crazy happening. Plus Hurts outplayed Mahomes overall IMO. I mean if he tackled the guy or blatantly committed the penalty out of desperation I would get it. Of course it doesn’t mean the eagles would have won but they should have had their chance, and we all lost out on a potential epic ending to a great game. 

Looking over the different comments I still just don’t see it. If Mahomes completes a first down on that play does that ref still throw the flag? It just doesn’t look good, made a possible all time great Super Bowl lesser via refs deciding to jump in at the end. We’ve all seen way more egregious DPI/Holding go uncalled many times. The fact is penalties occur on most plays, good refereeing is essentially being consistent. I feel like that call was determined by the outcome of the play. When they didn’t convert the flag came out. That’s the epitome of a ref influencing a game. Like an NBA defender  not getting the foul called on them because the guy  hit that contested three.