Longtime NFL referee Terry McAulay commented on the controversial decision not to call pass interference on the Kansas City Chiefs’ failed Hail Mary.
In the last seconds of the game, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes launched a 50-yard Hail Mary to the end zone, and it was right on target.
Although Hail Marys hang on the mercy of a prayer, Mahomes’ ball hit Tyreek Hill, then fell to the ground. Hill was wrapped up by Chargers safety Desmond King II. And with that, the game was over, and the Chiefs lost 30-24.
But according to millions of viewers, the game shouldn’t have ended like that. Chiefs fans took to Twitter after the game to point out the missed pass interference call when King grappled with Hill. Joining in the dissent was Terry McAuley, a veteran NFL referee who breaks down plays on NBC’s Sunday Night Football and Notre Dame broadcasts.
Veteran NFL referee Terry McAulay believes the Chiefs Hail May was a missed PI call
The argument against what McAulay and Chiefs fans claim is that pass interference calls are rarely, if ever, called on game-deciding Hail Marys. A Hail Mary is a last resort, and the end zone becomes a free-for-all as players angle for the ball.
But this is something McAulay addressed in the comments, stating that this Chiefs-Chargers play is “a whole different level of DPI.”
The vast majority of the time all players are looking for the ball and it’s normal jockeying for position which is never a foul on any type of play. This is a whole different level of DPI.
— Terry McAulay (@SNFRules) September 26, 2021
In all fairness, McAulay said that a previous play in which Hill was interfering with a defensive back’s coverage also should have been called.
If so, that should have been called as well.
— Terry McAulay (@SNFRules) September 26, 2021
It’s common for frustrated fans to take to social media and vent, but even FanSided NFL editor Matt Verderame believes that the lacking PI call was fair in the Hail Mary situation.
Stop asking for a PI call on a Hail Mary. You’re not getting it. You shouldn’t get it. The pass didn’t even get to the end zone.
— Matt Verderame (@MattVerderame) September 26, 2021
After Tom Brady benefited from a Hail Mary PI call last December, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert recounted the last time a PI call had been made on a touchdown. It was all the back in 2009.
More from @ESPNStatsInfo:
It was the first DPI call in the last 20 seasons that occurred on a play that:
1. Started in the last 5 seconds of a half
2. Started 30+ yards from the end zone
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) December 13, 2020
The call, which was described as “a pretty bad call by Brad Allen and his crew”, arguably shouldn’t have been called at all — which is likely why this Chiefs one wasn’t, and they rarely ever are.
