Travis Kelce, Chiefs defend Eric Fisher after two-point try wiped out by holding

The yellow penalty flag fluttered to the ground. Eric Fisher’s heart sank.

Holding. Two-point conversion attempt, one that would’ve tied the Chiefs’ AFC Divisional playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, no good.

The penalty against Fisher, called as he fought to hold off hard-charging linebacker James Harrison, negated Alex Smith’s completion to tight end Demetrius Harris in the back of the end zone.

Backed up 10 yards, the Chiefs failed on their subsequent attempt, effectively ending the game, which the Steelers won 18-16 on Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium.

Yet Fisher’s teammates were quick to come to his defense in the locker room after the game. Instead of blasting Fisher, they directed their frustration at the official who made the call (Travis Kelce’s said referee Carl Cheffers isn’t, ahem, qualified to work at Foot Locker).

“I was (ticked),” linebacker Dee Ford said. “It was one of those deals, there was nothing else Fish could do on that play. … It’s just unfortunate.”

Fisher wasn’t so forgiving of himself.

“With the game on the line, for me to let the team down, it’s going to be a hard one to let go,” he said.

Fisher hadn’t yet watched a replay of the sequence and didn’t bite when asked if the call was the right one.

“That ain’t up to me,” he said. “Obviously, I’m frustrated with the call.”

Good call or otherwise, wide receiver Chris Conley lamented that such a penalty would be assessed in such a high-stakes moment of the game.

“Normally, in the playoffs, they let you play,” Conley said. “They let the plays be decided on other factors. I think there was a lot of holding and this and that going on all over in the game. Then, you choose to call it in a situation like this — eh, no — but it is what it is.”

Fisher had his hands full with Harrison all night, including when Harrison blew past him for Pittsburgh’s only sack of Smith on third-and-7 in the third quarter.

“We shot ourselves in the foot,” Fisher said. “To win that game, we have to play better.”

Fisher appreciated his teammates’ support.

“As much as I want to sit here right now and apologize to my teammates, I don’t think they’d want that,” he said. “We’re a tight-knit group in this locker room.

“We have each others’ backs. We don’t point fingers around here.”

As is often the case, Kelce had the last word.

“That wasn’t a hold on my guy Eric Fisher,” he said, “and sure enough, I hope 72 doesn’t go the whole offseason thinking it was his fault.”

This story was originally published January 16, 2017 at 12:30 AM with the headline "Travis Kelce, Chiefs defend Eric Fisher after two-point try wiped out by holding."