New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh motions from the sidelines during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
EAST RUTHERFORD — Bad calls happen in any sport. That’s the nature of the game. When calls are made that consistently go against a certain team though, then questions need to start being asked.Â
That’s the case the New York Jets are currently in.Â
After a tough 23-20 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, the team can come away with plenty of positive takeaways even if they are just 1-3 on the year. It’s hard to argue against some of the organization’s biggest frustrations though.Â
In the loss, the Jets were victims of controversial calls throughout the contest, especially late in the game. There were missed holding calls, phantom ineligible men downfield penalties, and two straight penalties on third-and-long that would have given the ball back to their offense with plenty of time to try and win the game on their own. The worst of which came in the closing minutes of the contest.
All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner, on third-and-20, played man coverage against Chiefs’ receive Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Gardner and MVS were hand-fighting for position while Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a prayer of a pass up in the air that was intercepted by Jordan Whitehead.Â
After the interception was made, the far-side referee threw his flag and called a holding penalty on Gardner – effectively ending the game before New York had a chance to get the ball back.Â
Outside of the fact that BOTH teams were playing physically against receivers all game, the call made at such an important time in the contest surprised both Gardner and the Jets coaching staff.
“The receiver ran into me, there was a collision, same thing that was happening all game, & they threw no flags. Pat threw the ball outside the…
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