'The Quarterback Never Got Set': Chiefs vs. Lions Ref Craig Wolstad Explains Why He Denied Jared Goff’s TD

The consensus among pundits covering the game was that it was an illegal formation. After a discussion between the officials, the play was officially ruled as an illegal motion. Referee Craig Wolstad explained the reason live on broadcast.

“After discussion… the quarterback never got set, therefore illegal motion,” said Wolstad, before waiving off the TD.

Thankfully, since the Chiefs went on to win by 13 points, we won’t have to hear any murmurings of “robbery.” However, Detroit fell victim to a niche rule that is seldom mentioned, let alone challenged.

In the official rule book, it is written that “…If a T-Formation quarterback goes in motion and fails to come to a complete stop for at least one full second prior to the snap,” then it would result in a five-yard penalty.

Of course, even though it’s clearly defined in the book, fans were still willing to cry foul after its enforcement benefited Kansas City.

Given the uniqueness of the play call, some argued that the play should have been allowed to stand. After all, Goff never officially placed his hands beneath the center. According to one fan, that’s enough to enforce the only rule that truly matters.

“The rule of cool says this should stand,” he commented on X. Although someone may want to check and make sure that he doesn’t have David Montgomery on his fantasy team.

For better or worse, this SNF contest will go down in the record books as a 30-17 victory for Kansas City. After an abysmal start to the regular season, the Chiefs have managed to get themselves back to .500. They’ll now prepare to host a rather docile Las Vegas Raiders team that is currently averaging 19 points per game.

The Chiefs may not have gotten the emphatic start to the year that they hoped for following Super Bowl LIX, but they appear to be right on schedule.