Quote:16-year NFL referee Carl Cheffers and his crew are prepared to officiate the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 14 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

The last time the Chiefs saw Cheffers officiate a game was Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles. Don't let the outcome of that game fool you, though. Cheffers has a complicated past with Kansas City.

It all started in the 2016 postseason, in the divisional round game with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A holding penalty on then-left tackle Eric Fisher wiped out what would've been a game-tying two-point conversion attempt by the Chiefs. They'd lose the game 18-16, and Travis Kelce blasted Cheffers afterward.

“It’s ignorance, the ref, No. 51 (Carl Cheffers), should never be allowed to wear a Zebra jersey again,” Kelce said. “He shouldn’t even be able to work at *expletive* foot locker.”
Kelce was fined nearly $10K by the NFL for his comments, but that's only the beginning of the bad blood between the Chiefs and Cheffers.

Cheffers was the head referee in Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During that particular game, Kansas City was penalized 11 times for 120 yards. Tampa Bay was only penalized four times for 39 yards. Cheffers and his crew set a Super Bowl record for first-half penalties in that game.

In Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, Cheffers called a roughing the passer penalty on Chiefs DT Chris Jones. It eliminated a sack fumble and sparked league-wide outrage over the inconsistencies of the roughing-the-passer rule. Cheffers was also almost booed out of Arrowhead Stadium in this instance.

In Week 15 against the Houston Texans in 2022, Cheffers called a season-high 10 penalties against Kansas City for 102 yards. That game was a closer-than-expected 30-24 win for the good guys.

Of course, Super Bowl LVII didn't have any controversial penalties, at least not on the Chiefs' side of things. The holding penalty on Eagles CB James Bradberry against Chiefs WR Juju Smith-Schuster was all the talk in Philadelphia after the game. Some of their players were still bitter about it heading into the 2023 NFL season.

The games involving Cheffers have not been the most well-kempt when it comes to officiating, but it hasn't always been back-breaking for Kansas City. The Chiefs are 9-2 during games officiated by Cheffers in the Patrick Mahomes era.

At the same time, penalties have been a bigger problem for Kansas City this season than they have in the past, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Chiefs simply don't have the firepower to overcome getting too far behind the sticks. That could play a factor with Cheffers as the white hat against the Bills in Week 14.

(12-08-2023, 05:15 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Pretty wild, kind of like that Cheffers is refereeing this game against the Bills though. Hoping the Bills beat those sacks.

I just don't like the Chiefs at all anymore.

(12-08-2023, 05:46 PM)Mer Wrote: Yeah, I didn't mind the Larry Johnson or Joe Montana Chiefs but these current ones are terrible. I really can't stand Kelce. He's the one that should shut his month.

(12-08-2023, 06:42 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: Cheifs aren't dropping 3 of their next 5 to lose the AFC West to Denver. Our playoff odds have little to do with KC's success. Root for them to beat Buffalo.

(12-08-2023, 06:43 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Can't lol

It is almost like rooting for the stoolers now.

(12-08-2023, 06:53 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: If Jake Browning manages to beat KC @ KC, do we sitll call it Burrowhead?

(12-08-2023, 06:42 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: Cheifs aren't dropping 3 of their next 5 to lose the AFC West to Denver. Our playoff odds have little to do with KC's success. Root for them to beat Buffalo.

(12-10-2023, 11:07 AM)Sled21 Wrote: The Chiefs just aren't that good this year. Both of their tackles are sucking. They've already lost 4 games. Not the same old Chiefs. The Super Bowl will not go through KC this year.

(12-11-2023, 08:56 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: While I agree with those statements, it is also interesting about the relationship between Cheffers and the Chiefs having ill feelings towards him.  Now instead of Kelce flapping his jaws about the officiating, it's now Pat Mahommes.  It's one thing when an emerging player like Kelce, as he was at that time goes off on the officiating compared to now when the supposed steeled leader of a multi-championship winning franchise makes a big statement about officiating.

(12-11-2023, 08:56 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: While I agree with those statements, it is also interesting about the relationship between Cheffers and the Chiefs having ill feelings towards him.  Now instead of Kelce flapping his jaws about the officiating, it's now Pat Mahommes.  It's one thing when an emerging player like Kelce, as he was at that time goes off on the officiating compared to now when the supposed steeled leader of a multi-championship winning franchise makes a big statement about officiating.

(12-11-2023, 12:34 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Roger will probably cave and Cheffers will never ref another Chefs game

(12-10-2023, 09:52 PM)The D.O.Z. Wrote: Watching Mahomes throw a temper tantrum on the sidelines to end that game was pretty entertaining. Hearing a whole stadium chant "refs you suck" on a call where Toney was clearly lined up in the NZ was equally entertaining. That sucked the air right outta Arrowhead.

(12-14-2023, 07:27 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I could see the Chiefs being upset if like the guys tip of his shoe was on the line. But like most of his shoe was over the line, not just close.

And I think Pat's hissy fit was about more than just the offsides call.