With four seconds left, one yard to go, and a touchdown pass to Rashee Rice was supposed to save the Kansas City Chiefs against the Denver Broncos during their Week 8 matchup. But then right tackle Jaylon Moore was flagged for a false start, wiping out the score and moving the ball back five yards, a moment that also began conversations around the league, where Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said he didn’t see a false start. However, tight end Travis Kelce sees it differently.
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On the New Heights Podcast, former NFL star Jason Kelce delved into the topic of the false start, where he contradicted the statements against the penalty decision.
“A lot of people are saying this isn’t a penalty. I want to go on record. This is definitely a penalty,” Jason said.
Travis Kelce was part of the conversation. And as his brother laid down his opinion on whether Jaylon Moore flinched, the Chiefs tight end revealed his assessment of the situation, saying, “Yeah, he [Jaylon Moore] flinches.”
An official threw a flag immediately before the snap and called a false start on right tackle Jaylon Moore’s flinch; let’s take a closer look at what unfolded during that moment. While players are allowed to turn their heads to check the cadence or look at the quarterback before the snap, the infraction came down to lower-body movement.
Up-close and rear angles of the play showed that as Moore turned his head left toward Mahomes, his right foot and right knee subtly shifted and rocked backward.
The subtle movement was immediately noticed and pointed out to the officials by the Broncos defenders, resulting in a flag drop. By NFL rules, any sudden movement that simulates the start of a play before the snap occurs is a false start.
Due to this, Travis Kelce and the Chiefs were pushed back from the 1-yard line to the 6-yard line. However, on the subsequent play of the down (4th-and-goal from Denver’s 6-yard line), Patrick Mahomes was sacked, sealing a 28-24 victory for the Denver Broncos.
In the immediate aftermath, several NFL personalities, including Andy Reid, voiced their opinion against the false start call.
“I thought the guys battled like crazy. We had over 100 yards in penalties. We’ve got to take care of that. [On the false start] I didn’t see it. I saw him move his head, but I didn’t see [a false start].”
Even Mahomes was surprised by the penalty flag, disagreeing with the call.
“I have not seen [a replay], but [Moore’s movements] didn’t catch me; it didn’t surprise me or anything like that, so it couldn’t have been big, but it was called,” Mahomes said after the game. “At the end of the day, you have to go with whatever is called, but a lot of times in those big moments, the little stuff doesn’t get called like that.”
While Reid and Mahomes questioned the call immediately after the game, Kelce sided with the officials’ interpretation of the rule.
That said, days have passed since the game took place. Although it was a crucial game for Kelce and the Chiefs after coming off their first defeat of the season against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7, the game didn’t turn out as per their expectations.
Following their Week 8 defeat, the Denver Broncos lead the AFC West division while the Kansas City Chiefs stand in the second position. Next up, Kelce & Co. are gearing up to face the New York Jets (2-6) in a Week 9 matchup on November 8, a game where the Chiefs would look to come out of their losing streak.