JUST HANG ON
Chiefs rip costly holding call
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Eric Fisher sat on a stool facing his locker, slowly peeling off his Chiefs uniform in the aftermath of the team’s 18-16 loss to the Steelers in the AFC playoffs Sunday night. He paused for a moment and just put his head in his hand.
Fisher is probably going to have a lot of moments like that this offseason when he thinks back to this game. The 26-year-old Kansas City left tackle was called for holding on a twopoint attempt that would have tied the score at 18-18 with 2:43 left to play. Referee Carl Cheffers threw the flag when Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison fell to the ground as Fisher was blocking him.
The penalty negated the successful two-point pass from Alex Smith to Demetrius Harris. It moved the ball back to the 12 where the Chiefs got another crack, but this time Smith’s pass fell incomplete. Spencer Ware had scored a 1yard touchdown moments earlier to give the Chiefs’ hope of tying the game.
“Obviously, I’m frustrated with the call,” Fisher said. “With the game on the line, for me to let the team down, it’s going to be a hard one to let go.”
Fisher’s teammates rallied around him in the postgame locker room. Several stopped by his locker to whisper in his ear as he got dressed. Tight end Travis Kelce blasted Cheffers for making the call.
“This sucks,” Kelce said. “It was an unbelievable play call on the last drive. Alex just drove us down there, fourth down, fourth down, making plays, making plays, the momentum’s getting on our side and then to just get our jugulars ripped out because the ref felt bad for James Harrison falling on the ground. It’s ignorance. Ref No. 51 should not even be able to wear a zebra jersey ever again. He shouldn’t even be able to work at f---ing Foot Locker.”
That is going to get Kelce fined. Other Chiefs were not as adamant, but felt like it was a bad call.
“I looked up and saw it on the Jumbotron. I’ve seen a lot worse not get called. That’s for sure,” Smith said. “It’s tough in an environment like that where you want the refs to let us play and let the play dictate the outcome. It’s tough in a scenario like that that a penalty dictates the outcome.”