NFL fans furious as refs avoid throwing flag in crucial moment of Falcons-Chiefs game

NFL fans who tuned successful to ticker the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs were upset with the officiating astatine the extremity of the crippled connected a play involving choky extremity Kyle Pitts.

Kirk Cousins led the Falcons connected a 15-play thrust and got the discourtesy wrong 6 yards of a touchdown. On 3rd-and-5, Cousins threw a walk to Pitts, who was being covered by Chiefs antiaircraft backmost Bryan Cook.

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Atlanta Falcons choky extremity Kyle Pitts, #8, misses the drawback against Kansas City Chiefs information Bryan Cook, #6, during the 2nd fractional of an NFL shot crippled connected Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 successful Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Kansas City Chiefs information Bryan Cook, #6, breaks up a walk against Atlanta Falcons choky extremity Kyle Pitts, #8, successful the extremity portion during the 2nd fractional astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta connected Sept. 22, 2024. (Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)

As the shot reached the extremity zone, it appeared Pitts was being held arsenic helium tried to drawback the ball. Cook was seen with his arms wrapped astir the choky end’s waist. Pitts could not drawback the ball. No punishment was called. On the adjacent play, Cousins threw an incomplete walk to Drake London.

The Falcons turned the shot implicit connected downs. Atlanta had different possession and got the shot to the Chiefs’ 13-yarad enactment and turned the shot implicit connected downs arsenic well.

Fans pointed to the Pitts play arsenic the origin of their pain.

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Falcons caput manager Raheem Morris avoided talking astir the play.

"I similar my money," Morris said. "I similar my wealth that Arthur Blank gives me. I’m precise astute capable to beryllium alert capable to speech astir officials. They made the call, oregon they didn't marque the call. It is what it is. We had a accidental to triumph the shot crippled connected the past play of the game."

While fans were upset, the referees defended the nary call.

Atlanta Falcons choky extremity Kyle Pitts, #8, runs against Kansas City Chiefs information Justin Reid, #20, aft a drawback during the archetypal fractional astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta connected Sept. 22, 2024. (Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)

"That is simply a real-time telephone that officials person to marque a judgement on. From the space that they had astatine the time, they did not consciousness that determination was a foul committed," caput referee Tra Blake told excavation newsman D. Orlando Ledebetter.

Blake added, "That’s a real-time judgement telephone for us, yes. We bash the beset tin bash to marque that decision."

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The Chiefs improved to 3-0 with the triumph and the Falcons dropped to 1-2.

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