The Kansas City Chiefs went into halftime of Super Bowl LV down 21-6 largely because of their inability to avoid penalty flags in the first half, several of them controversial.
The Chiefs committed eight penalties for 95 yards in the first half. Incredibly, six of those flags resulted in Buccaneers first downs. That tally already broke a Super Bowl record, as did the total penalty yardage.
Many of the calls were controversial, particularly late in the half. The Buccaneers were able to score a touchdown in the dying seconds of the half thanks in large part to a pair of key holding penalties, one worth 34 yards and one in the end zone. An earlier defensive hold also negated a Tyrann Mathieu interception. Some felt that the passes were uncatchable on two of the calls, and that Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans flopped to earn one of the flags.
NBC officiating expert Terry McAulay felt that the penalty calls were harsh when judged by the standard that had been used for the remainder of the season.
Many NFL players and analysts were also unsure about the calls.
The first half would have looked much different if not for the flags. If the Chiefs don’t come back to win, expect them to be a major talking point after the game.
It’s not the first time the Buccaneers have benefitted from a controversial pass interference call in these playoffs.
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