NBC rules analyst says officials should have called penalty on Chiefs’ Hail Mary pass
There was no shortage of twists and turns Sunday in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 30-24 loss to the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs turned the ball over on each of their first three drives and fell behind 14-0. But they battled back and took a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter. The Chargers tied it, then intercepted quarterback Patrick Mahomes and drove for a go-ahead touchdown.
The Chiefs got the ball back but Mahomes’ Hail Mary pass fell incomplete. Receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce were at the goal line with a group of Chargers defensive players, as you can see in this video.
A penalty for pass interference is rarely called on a Hail Mary pass, but NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay believes this warranted a flag.
“There is no scenario where this is not a foul for defensive pass interference,” McAulay, who is a former NFL referee, wrote on Twitter.
A Twitter user responded by saying all the Chargers were looking for the ball, but McAulay shot down that argument.
Another responded by saying a flag is never thrown on a Hail Mary, but McAulay argued there is rarely an infraction to call.
“There is no ‘Hail Mary’ exception in the rule book and I was never given guidance to never call it my entire career,” McAulay wrote. “It’s rarely called because there rarely is a foul on the play. This is a foul and should always be called.”
This story was originally published September 27, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
