I think it is a safe bet that the NFL leadership would prefer Kansas City in the Super Bowl rather than the Bengals. I think they believe they would be the better draw, as can be seen how KC was given the choice playoff slots the past two weeks, while the Bengals were given the least attractive slots. I think it is a safe bet that this is why this officiating crew was selected.

Selecting the referee crew that called the least penalties during the year is not a random choice. It could be because Kansas City could not help themselves in committing penalties last time they played the Bengals. They were accessed ten penalties and Reid was outspoken in complaining about those penalties, in the only way possible without getting a fine, the classic "I would like to comment on each of those [penalties], but I don't want to be fined." The KC media was less restrained. The Bengals got four first downs by penalty.

And four defensive holding calls all season? This clearly favors the Chiefs, who have shown a propensity for holding of Bengals receivers last game. And it was a huge fourth down call of defensive holding call on Charvanious Ward that kept the Bengals from turning the ball over on downs at the end of the game. On the other hand, the Bengals were second from the bottom on penalties all year and second from the bottom (4 vs. 3) on defensive holding calls.

I think this ref crew hurts us, but I can't complain about our playoff time slots. We were not one of the teams that got a short week during the playoffs. The guys who got hosed the most were the guys who played on Monday Night. And we got an extra day this week by playing on Saturday last week.

Let's see if WE can get away with stuff as well. Or will this playoff game officiating mirror Super Bowl XL?

(01-28-2022, 09:33 AM)Sled21 Wrote: I think this ref crew hurts us, but I can't complain about our playoff time slots. We were not one of the teams that got a short week during the playoffs. The guys who got hosed the most were the guys who played on Monday Night. And we got an extra day this week by playing on Saturday last week.

What I meant by choice playoff time slots is it reflects who the NFL thinks is the better draw. Sunday evening is much more prime time than the first Saturday game. 

I can't tell you how many people I ran into who missed the Saturday game because Saturday is either a work day or be busy doing domestic duties. Sunday evening is the place you put teams you think will be the biggest draw. And the NFL was correct in that assessment. I just believe they also figure KC and Mahomes will be the bigger draw in the Super Bowl. And the league is all about making money.

I just don't imagine this referee crew was chosen by accident. 

(01-28-2022, 09:42 AM)Interceptor Wrote: Let's see if WE can get away with stuff as well. Or will this playoff game officiating mirror Super Bowl XL?

If they are not going to call KC's OL for holding Hendrickson, they better not call our guys for holding KC's D line. That's probably to our advantage.

And no foul if Chase performs an Aikido takedown of a DB within 5 yards of the LOS.

(01-28-2022, 10:11 AM)Interceptor Wrote: And no foul if Chase performs an Aikido takedown of a DB within 5 yards of the LOS.

The only way their DB's can stand a chance against Chase, Higgins and Boyd is if they hold and commit interference. If they aren't going to throw flags, our guys will also out physical them, especially Chase and Higgins.

It's us against the ChiRefs. So be it. Nobody is giving us a chance. Big Red Machine, say hello to your neighbor - The Mean Machine!
Let's see how libral those refs really are....

(01-28-2022, 12:13 PM)Interceptor Wrote: It's us against the ChiRefs. So be it. Nobody is giving us a chance. Big Red Machine, say hello to your neighbor - The Mean Machine!
Let's see how libral those refs really are....

 GREATNESS LMAO!!!

Here's Seifert's comment on the officiating crew. Basically the crew with the lowest number of penalties for one game and the crew with the greatest number of penalties for the other game.

Here's what he has for the Bengals-Chiefs game:

"Seifert's officiating outlook: Referee Bill Vinovich's regular-season crew (crews change in the playoffs) annually throws the fewest flags among the NFL's 17 crews, and this season was no exception. His crew averaged 10.9 flags per game, 34% less than the crew that called the most (Carl Cheffers, 16.6). He'll preside over a game that features the NFL's least-penalized team (Bengals, 84) and ninth most-penalized team (Chiefs, 129). Vinovich was the only referee in the NFL not to call a single roughing the passer penalty during the regular season, and his regular-season crew threw the third-fewest flags for [offensive] holding (34)."

And here is what he has for the Rams-49ers:

"Seifert's officiating outlook: Referee Carl Cheffers' regular-season crew led the NFL with 16.6 flags thrown per game, but these two teams ranked among the 14 least-penalized teams in the league. The Rams saw 92 flags and the 49ers saw 117. During the regular season, Cheffers threw 10 flags for roughing the passer, tied for sixth most in the NFL, and 61 for offensive holding, second most in the league -- though he will have a different crew on Sunday."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33160786/bengals-chiefs-49ers-rams-nfl-playoff-game-picks-schedule-guide-bold-predictions-odds-injuries-matchup-keys-more

Holding helped the Chiefs hold Burrow to 446 and 4 last time.

The Chiefs also limited Chase to 266 and 3.

I hope they hold again.

(01-24-2022, 11:23 PM)CincinnatiKid Wrote: The referee for the #Chiefs vs #Bengals game will be Bill Vinovich. His crew called the least amount of penalties in the NFL. This crew worked the AFC Championship last year vs Bills and Super Bowl LIV vs the 49ers.

Evidently Bill Vinovich's crew called only four defensive holding penalties all season, second-lowest in the league.

Top penalties his crew called this year:
Offensive Holding: 31
False Start: 24
Offsides: 13
DPI: 12
Unnecessary Roughness: 10
Delay of Game


Chiefs fans are saying If you want to jam the Bengals receivers at the line and play physical downfield, this is the crew you want calling the game

We shall see

Press man, if burrow sees it pre snap....sheeeeiiiiitt.....thats when the freak shows get to eat!!.....idc who the refs are, you try to be physical with these three amigos, you gonna get ya feelings hurt.

I don't like that they don't call much defensive holding.

I hope they call roughing the passer.  I'm pretty sure the titans would have been court marshaled if they treated Brady the way they entertained Joe last week
.
I've bitched about it for years but I feel no hypocritical feelings whatsoever when I say its way past time that the refs start giving burrow the Brady treatment......throwing laundry anytime a defender doesn't gingerly and oh so gently escort Burrow to the ground ...pushing shoving grabbing or tackling with any force indicative of the game being played should result in 15 yards and first down for the good guys.

Sounds shady, but for literally half my life the league has been dominated by this weird almond milk drinking non strawberry eating son of a ***** who's pleading for flags has been nearly as effective on nfl refs as a daughters tears are to her daddy.

I'm watching the Chiefs play Tampa Bay on NFL network. On just the last series, three times Tampa Bay extended drives that were stopped because holding was called on the Chiefs, including one that nullified an interception. Three KC defensive holding plays on just one series and this officiating crew only called four all season?

It is the KC basic plan for defense against WRs: defensive holding. It is so aggravating that the NFL has tilted the game toward KC in their selection of this particular referee crew. In this particular game I'm watching, it was the difference between KC getting the ball back and Tampa Bay eventually scoring a touchdown.

(01-24-2022, 11:23 PM)CincinnatiKid Wrote: The referee for the #Chiefs vs #Bengals game will be Bill Vinovich. His crew called the least amount of penalties in the NFL. This crew worked the AFC Championship last year vs Bills and Super Bowl LIV vs the 49ers.

Evidently Bill Vinovich's crew called only four defensive holding penalties all season, second-lowest in the league.

Top penalties his crew called this year:
Offensive Holding: 31
False Start: 24
Offsides: 13
DPI: 12
Unnecessary Roughness: 10
Delay of Game


Chiefs fans are saying If you want to jam the Bengals receivers at the line and play physical downfield, this is the crew you want calling the game

We shall see

As long as they call it even.  So If Chiefs Defense gets to mug and hold Bengals receivers, the Bengals Defense needs to be allowed to mug and hold Chiefs receivers.   A crew that never calls penalties means they may just let them get away with a lot more in Championship Game and let them play.  However I hope these Refs just don't let players get mugged and killed on every play.  Not calling Defensive Holding or Pass Interference would cause a game that The NFL is trying to avoid. These Officials would NOT be doing their jobs letting receivers get mugged on every play.  I JUST HOPE THEY CALL IT EVEN BOTH WAYS.  Bengals don't need to beat both the Chiefs and The Refs. 

I mean, if Chase is going for the ball and gets held or hit too early, I saw enough of that when Refs let Dolphins in 1973 Play-Offs tackle Isaac Curtis when ball snapped on every play, and Curtis being held never could be a factor in the game. That game brought about a rule change so players like Curtis and Chase can't just be tackled when the ball is snapped. I don't want the Refs to allow Chiefs to cheat same way and take Chase out of entire game by Cheating.  The NFL has let Bengals get burned before on that.