A Black Friday game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders ended in bizarre fashion, leading the NFL and its officiating crew to offer a postgame explanation.
With just 15 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell spiked the ball to stop the clock. Moments later, facing a third-and-3 from the Kansas City 32-yard line, center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the ball before O’Connell was ready, leading to a fumble.
The Raiders fumble it, the Chiefs recover it to seal the game ‼️#LVvsKC on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/WvNvUONRM5— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2024
Multiple flags were thrown and the play appeared to be whistled dead. Initial assumptions were that the Raiders would be penalized for a false start but instead, officials ruled the infraction to be an illegal formation which was promptly declined.
Because the Chiefs had a clear recovery of the loose ball, they were awarded possession. Patrick Mahomes subsequently kneeled out the clock, securing a controversial victory.
“That last play there was a lot going on, from the officiating to the flags to the ball being snapped,” Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said after the game, via ESPN.
There was obvious frustration on the Las Vegas sideline, especially courtesy of Powers-Johnson, prompting a response from the NFL.
“Had the clock been running at the snap, then by rule an illegal shift would convert to a false start. Since the clock was stopped (spike on the 2nd down play), an illegal shift is a live ball foul,” the NFL said in a statement, via Vic Tafur.
After settling down, Powers-Johnson, who had converted from guard in Week 9, accepted responsibility for the loss while others Raiders players and assistants simply buttoned their lip.
Whether or not the penalty was accurate according to the rulebook is irrelevant. The on-field change and the play seemingly whistled dead will only fuel conspiracy theorists who continue to insist the Chiefs are routinely given favorable calls.
