The Kansas City Chiefs were desperate to bounce back in Week 6 as they welcomed the Detroit Lions to Arrowhead Stadium for Sunday Night Football.
Star tight end Travis Kelce entered the matchup with 22 catches, 243 receiving yards, and two touchdowns on the season. Despite setting an NFL milestone in the previous week’s narrow 31–28 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kelce wasn’t celebrating much.
Against Jacksonville, the veteran tight end hauled in seven of eight targets for 61 yards and a score — a performance that officially made him the tight end with the most receptions (1,026) through his first 13 seasons in league history. Even so, the loss overshadowed his record-breaking achievement.
“We’re moving on,” Kelce said during his New Heights podcast. “We’ve got the [expletive] Lions coming up. No need to dwell on the Jags game — everyone saw how wild that was. We’ve just got to clean things up.”
When the Chiefs hosted Detroit on October 12, Kelce wasted no time getting involved, catching Patrick Mahomes’ first pass of the night. His fiancée, Taylor Swift, was back in the stands, seemingly bringing him some good fortune.
Kelce wrapped up the game with six receptions for 78 yards, helping Kansas City secure a 30–17 win. The NFL later announced that he had surpassed Jason Witten for the second-most receiving yards in primetime games in league history.
However, one key catch in the third quarter sparked major backlash online — with fans accusing the officiating crew of missing a clear non-catch.
Fans Claim Refs Ignored an Obvious Incompletion
Midway through the third quarter, Mahomes found Kelce on a crucial third-down play. Before officials could review the grab, Kansas City quickly lined up for the next snap — preventing any chance of replay. Many fans argued that Kelce had used the ground to help secure possession.
One viewer on X (formerly Twitter) wrote:
“What’s that sky judge even for? Do they only stop plays when it’s not the Chiefs? That was so obvious.”
Another fan posted:
“That wasn’t a catch. [NBC Sports analyst] Terry McAuley saying he had control is insane. Every week certain teams get these ridiculous calls. Feels like the league’s fixing games.”
A third fan added:
“The Lions have to be quicker on challenges. You can’t let KC run the next play that fast.”
The drive ended with Marquise “Hollywood” Brown punching in a touchdown, extending the Chiefs’ lead to 20–10 — a sequence that only fueled Detroit fans’ frustration.
Early Controversy Set the Tone
Tension had already been building after a trick play involving Jared Goff on Detroit’s opening drive was wiped out. Goff had thrown what appeared to be a touchdown to David Montgomery, but officials nullified the score due to illegal motion.
Rules expert Terry McAuley broke down the penalty during the NBC broadcast:
“Since Goff lined up behind center, he needs to step back and set himself as a back before moving in motion. He didn’t — that’s an illegal formation.”
Play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico noted,
“It’s not a reviewable play, but the officials can confer and make a call.”
Detroit ended up settling for a field goal instead of a touchdown. One furious fan posted afterward:
“So the NFL wipes a touchdown after the fact on something that’s not even reviewable? Goff wasn’t the QB — Montgomery was! And then they start the play clock while the coaches are still getting an explanation? Classic KC officiating.”
Despite the Chiefs’ victory, the game left plenty of fans — especially in Detroit — questioning the consistency of officiating and the league’s replay system.
