Brittany Mahomes publicly criticized NFL referees following a contentious penalty that contributed to the Kansas City Chiefs' late-season loss to the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his teammates were on the wrong end of a crucial false start call against lineman Jaylon Moore that nullified a game-tying touchdown pass to Rashee Rice. The penalty moved the Chiefs back to the six-yard line, and a subsequent sack on fourth down secured the 28-24 victory for the Broncos.
Mahomes' wife expressed her anger on social media, writing, "You can't tell me you call that on a game winning [touchdown]. Oh wait yeah I can cause it's us. That was the weakest call I have ever seen, you can't tell me otherwise." The reaction on social media platform X saw many fans question her criticism, citing the Chiefs' reputation for receiving favorable calls from officials. "KC blaming the refs. What alternate universe are we living in right now?" one user commented.
Broadcast announcers on CBS also focused on the perceived false start by Moore, replaying the footage and highlighting his movement before the snap. However, Brittany Mahomes remained unconvinced by the officials' decision.
Kansas City head coach Andy Reid also voiced his reservations about the penalty in his post-game press conference. "I didn't see it," Reid stated. "That's one man's opinion. I saw him move his head, but I didn't see a false start."
Following the penalty, Malcolm Roach sacked Mahomes on the final play of the game, sealing the Broncos' comeback victory and placing them atop the AFC West standings. The Broncos, now 6-2, had trailed 24-13 in the third quarter before quarterback Bo Nix led a rally. Nix connected with tight end Nate Adkins for a touchdown and then with Jaylen Waddle for a two-point conversion to narrow the deficit to 24-21.
After Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker missed a 54-yard field goal attempt in inclement weather, the Broncos capitalized. Nix threw a 51-yard pass to rookie running back Jonah Coleman, who then scored the go-ahead touchdown on the next play. This left Mahomes with less than two minutes to respond. Despite a 32-yard reception by Travis Kelce and effective runs by Kenneth Walker III that moved the Chiefs inside the Denver five-yard line, they were unable to score in the remaining time.