Odd officiating call against Chiefs draws rebuke: ‘NFL’s replay system is broken’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- CBS analyst Gene Steratore says the tipped Mahomes pass should be reviewable
- Referee Carl Cheffers ruled the intentional grounding penalty nonreviewable on replay
- Steratore and commentators call out NFL replay process as broken and inconsistent
CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore had never seen anything like what happened during the Chiefs game Sunday against the Bills in Orchard Park, New York.
Trailing 21-13 in the third quarter, the Chiefs had a second-and-6 play from their 44-yard line. Patrick Mahomes’ pass attempt was tipped, but he was penalized for intentional grounding.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid threw his red challenge flag and let officials know that when they looked at the replay, they would see Mahomes’ pass was tipped.
But referee Carl Cheffers (yeah, it was Cheffers again), said there was nothing reviewable on the play.
That was news to Steratore, the former NFL referee.
“I’ve been around 30 years,” Steratore said on the broadcast, “and it’s the first time I’ve seen a play like this.“
Steratore thought the play should have been reviewable, but Cheffers and his crew didn’t agree.
After the Bills’ 28-21 victory, Mahomes explained what he saw happen and why he pleaded his case.
“I was trying to say that my arm and the ball kind of got hit, and I was trying to throw it closer to the guy down the field,” Mahomes said. “It’s a judgment call, and not reviewable, so there’s nothing they could really do about it. ... Obviously they didn’t see the ball get tipped. But that’s part of the game. You’ve got to move on from it.”
A couple of prominent national NFL media members expressed their displeasure with Cheffers’ ruling.
Here is what Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote on X.
And here is what NBC Sports’ Mike Florio shared.
Cheffers’ name was soon trending on X as Chiefs fans lit up the referee. Here is a small (and curse-free) sample of what was said.
This story was originally published November 2, 2025 at 6:02 PM.
