Tom Brady has admitted there are missed calls ‘on every single play’ amid the fallout from the poor refereeing performance in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night. Officials have been heavily scrutinized for missing key calls in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs, who reached their third Super Bowl in four years.
In a pulsating AFC Championship, quarterback Patrick Mahomes overcame adversity in his ankle injury to lead the Chiefs past the Cincinnati Bengals with a 23-20 win at Arrowhead Stadium. Mahomes entered the game without a win in three meetings with Bengals star Joe Burrow, but the MVP favorite ensured he finally got one over his rival as kicker Harrison Butker sunk the clinching field goal to win with three seconds remaining.
Late in the fourth quarter, Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai drew an agonizing penalty for a late hit on Mahomes which ultimately led to Butker’s winning kick. Burrow was also scrutinized through a crucial penalty for intentional grounding, which helped slow Cincinnati’s momentum.
The game showcased the duality of officiating in the NFL given the referees missed a blatant holding call on Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown during the AFC Championship win. NFL fans have believed that there is more holding that goes on on any given play than the referees call – and Brady declared this was the case.
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“Is anyone a hundred percent in their job? It’s a hard job to do. They’re making decisions in a millisecond.”
Brady will take time before deciding between retirement and entering free agency for the second time in his career ahead of the 2023 season. The 45-year-old famously retired last offseason only to reverse the division just 40 days later.
In his third season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady passed for 4,694 yards – the third-most in the NFL – and 25 touchdowns, so he is clearly still capable. The seven-time Super Bowl champion also set NFL records for the most pass attempts (733) and completions (490) in a single season in league history.