Breaking news: the Kansas City Chiefs somehow emerged victorious in a game it looked like they were sure to lose. This time it was a botched snap that prevented the Las Vegas Raiders from attempting a game winning field goal. But the play had everyone wondering what happened, only for Amazon Prime Video analyst Kirk Herbstreit to try to explain it on social media afterwards.
In the final seconds, the Raiders had the ball in Kansas City territory, trying to get a few extra yards for an easier field goal attempt so they didn’t suffer the same fate as the Broncos and Bears earlier this season and get the kick blocked. Only, they never even made it that far. With the Raiders still lining up, they snapped the ball early and the fumble was recovered by the Chiefs.
Another NFL game ends in an absolute debacle, and the Chiefs escape again. Here’s the complete sequence as called by Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on Amazon Prime Video ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Tq2kmgpYz0
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 29, 2024
There was mass confusion though as one official was signaling for a false start, which would have blown the play dead and given the Raiders a second chance. However, after a lengthy huddle, the refs called an illegal shift on Las Vegas, gifting Kansas City possession and the win.
So what the heck happened? Botched call? Yet another pro-Taylor Swift conspiracy? Maybe not. That’s where Kirk Herbstreit stepped in long after the game was over early on Saturday morning to try to explain the call in a tweet, responding to someone asking why a false start wasn’t called when that appeared to be the initial signal with the hashtag “#rigged.”
This is what I was told. I thought it was a dead ball foul as well. But look at this.
“Under 2 minutes, if the offense never gets set before the snap, it’s a false start if and only if the clock is running. If that clock is stopped, as it was here, then it’s an illegal shift and… https://t.co/mXgDXpiYvB— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 30, 2024
Kirk Herbstreit appears to be referencing Rule 7-4-6 of the NFL rulebook that states, “Item 6. Shift Converts to False Start. With the game clock running after the two-minute warning of either half, if all 11 offensive players are not set simultaneously for one full second prior to the snap, it is a false start. If all 11 players get set, and then two players shift without resetting prior to the snap, it is a live ball foul for an illegal shift. (7-4-7).”
Of course in this case, the clock was not running as the Raiders had spiked the ball on the previous play. Also, judging by the (limited) replays that we saw of the mass confusion, it was difficult to see exactly where a false start would have been called. So perhaps the line judge was mistaken and the proper call was made in the end and this wasn’t an example of Roger Goodell calling in another favor to the Chiefs.
Any of this information would have been helpful in real time during the Amazon broadcast. However, the camera wasn’t on the line of scrimmage at the snap and there were no All-22 replays to show what was happening before it. And there wasn’t an explanation of the various rules in question either. Fans were left to assume, guess, or hope that the right call was made without a clear picture or understanding of why. And when that happens, along with all of the wild ways in which Kansas City has won this year (some of which due to questionable calls) then conspiracies can spread like wildfire.
That doesn’t appear to be the case here. Still though, it’s yet another bonkers ending to a Kansas City Chiefs game that resulted in an improbable victory. And if modern society has taught us anything, yes, they can certainly keep getting away with it.
