Referee defends decision to call Chris Jones for roughing the passer
Referee Carl Cheffers, who officiated the Kansas City Chiefs' victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, said he followed the roughing the passer rules when he penalized Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jone.
Jones sacked Derek Carr from behind late in the first half, stripping the ball. The defender came down on the signal-caller while collecting the ball, but Cheffers called him for roughing the passer, wiping out the sack and fumble recovery. Las Vegas received an automatic first down and kicked a field goal four plays later to take a 20-7 lead.
Cheffers defended his controversial call postgame, insisting Carr was in a passing posture and was landed on with full body weight.
"(Carr) gets full protection of all the aspects of what we give the quarterback in a passing posture," Cheffers said. "So, when he was tackled, my ruling was the defender landed on him with full body weight. The quarterback is protected from being tackled with full body weight. My ruling was roughing the passer for that reason."
Cheffers added that Jones stripping Carr of the ball was irrelevant in this case.
"He still gets passing protection until he can defend himself," he said. "So, with him being in a passing posture and actually attempting to make a pass, he's going to get full protection until the time when he actually can protect himself. The fact that the ball came out and was subsequently recovered by the defense is not relevant as far as the protection the quarterback gets."
Chris Jones gets called for roughing the passer and Andy Reid was not happy about it.#LVvsKC pic.twitter.com/lPzenksppa
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 11, 2022
Jones thinks the NFL should make such plays reviewable.
"I think that's the next level we're going to have to take as a league for all these roughing the passers," Jones said, according to Aaron Ladd of KSHB 41 News.
He added: "How should I tackle? How should I not roll on him? I'm trying my best. I'm 325 pounds, OK? What do you want me to do? I'm going full speed trying to get the quarterback."
It was the second controversial roughing the passer call in as many days in the NFL.
The Chiefs ended up storming back against the Raiders, clinching a 30-29 victory. The result improved Kansas City to 4-1 this season and dropped Las Vegas to 1-4.