Advertisement

Packers-Chiefs' wild final drive included 1 questionable call, 1 suspect no-call and an Isiah Pacheco ejection

The Packers held on to beat the Chiefs 27-19 at Lambeau Field on Sunday night

The Green Bay Packers got the win Sunday night, and they survived a wild final two minutes that included an ejection of a key offensive player for the Kansas City Chiefs, a controversial call and an equally controversial no-call, each involving Patrick Mahomes.

The Packers, behind a great night from Jordan Love, beat the Kansas City Chiefs 27-19 at Lambeau Field. The win brought them to 6-6 on the season and kept head coach Matt LaFleur’s career record in December perfect.

In the final two minutes of the game, while Mahomes and the Chiefs were driving to try to tie it up and force overtime, there were several questionable calls and one ejection in what turned out to be a chaotic finish.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Isiah Pacheco ejected for throwing a punch

Let’s start here, as this incident was by far the most straightforward.

The Chiefs running back, after a brief scrum with Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon, threw a punch at Nixon’s head near the sideline.

Although it wasn’t initially shown on the broadcast, which left fans stunned when his ejection was announced, the punch was very clearly thrown. That will lead to an ejection every time.

Other than that, Pacheco had a great night. He finished with 110 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He had 13 receiving yards on three catches, too.

Nixon had a key interception late for the Packers and five total tackles on the night.

Controversial hit on Patrick Mahomes, no-call pass interference

Now for the two controversial calls.

During that final drive, Mahomes scrambled to the right to try to pick up a first down after the play broke down. He caught a lane and instantly broke toward the first-down marker on the sideline.

Right before Mahomes stepped out of bounds, safety Jonathan Owens drilled him hard. That led to a 15-yard personal foul penalty.

Although hitting a quarterback who is clearly giving himself up — or any player who has already stepped out of bounds — will lead to a penalty every time, Mahomes hadn’t done either of those things. He was still in bounds when Owens hit him, and he had lowered his shoulder toward Owens in an attempt to gain more yards. The hit was clean, and it should've been legal.

Instead, Owens was hit with the penalty, which extended the drive for Kansas City.

Official Brad Allen was asked after the game about that call and said that the "covering official believed that the defender made late and unnecessary contact" with Mahomes.

A few plays later, the Packers got away with what should've been pass interference. Had it been called, the Chiefs would've been within the 10-yard line and in great position to tie the game late.

Mahomes launched a deep ball for receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling down in the middle of the field. But as Valdes-Scantling went to make the catch, Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine grabbed Valdes-Scantling's back and jumped to successfully deflect the pass. By all accounts, that was pass interference that officials did not call.

"On every play where there may be pass interference, either offensive or defensive, the covering official has to rule whether contact materially restricts the receiver," Allen said. "And in this case, the covering officials were in good position and ruled that there was no material restriction that rose to the level of defensive pass interference."

The Chiefs eventually went for one final shot at the end zone as time expired, and there could've been pass interference called again. But officials, as they often do on a Hail Mary attempt, let it go.

After all of that, the Packers grabbed the 27-19 win. They’ve won three straight and four of their past five, which has kept them in the race for the playoffs. Love went 25-of-36 for 267 yards with three touchdowns Sunday. A.J. Dillon had 73 rushing yards on 18 carries, and Romeo Doubs had 72 yards on four catches.

Jordan Love headshot
Jordan Love
QB - GB - #10
Week 13 v. KC
69.4
Comp Pct
267
Yds
3
TD
0
Int
118.6
QBRat

Mahomes went 21-of-33 for 210 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Kansas City. He was their second-leading rusher behind Pacheco, with 26 yards on the ground. Travis Kelce had 81 yards on four catches. The Chiefs are 8-4 on the year and have lost three of their past five.

Although the missed calls didn’t end up swaying the game the other way — they sort of evened out in the end — the final drive was incredibly chaotic all around.