Inside the Article:
If you happened to tune in for Super Bowl LVII, you saw one of the best Super Bowl in NFL history as the Kansas City Chiefs came from behind to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 38-35. Though there is plenty of talk about other things that came out of the game, there is no topic hotter than the controversial call that was made against Eagles CB James Bradberry with under two minutes remaining in the game. Following the game, the Super Bowl referee explained the controversial penalty.
What was the controversial call?
With the score tied and 1:54 remaining on the clock, the Chiefs were in a crucial moment, trying to maintain their drive. However, Patrick Mahomes‘ pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster on 3rd-and-8 fell incomplete. Fortunately for Kansas City, they received a HUGE break when Eagles cornerback James Bradberry was penalized for defensive holding.
Super Bowl referee explains controversial penalty against James Bradberry
After the game, Bradberry said he did hold on the play, but he was hoping it was something the officials would let slide.
Lead referee Carl Cheffers had the following to say about the controversial play:
“The receiver went to the inside and he was attempting to release to the outside,” Cheffers said. “The defender grabbed the jersey with his right hand and restricted him from releasing to the outside. So, therefore, we called defensive holding. … He went to the inside, he put a foot down to try and break to the outside. So, it was right at the break to the outside where the defender grabbed his jersey.”
Bottom Line
According to Cheffers, the holding of Smith-Schuster's jersey impeded his ability to have a “free release to the outside” and constituted a clear instance of jersey grabbing that caused restriction. Additionally, Cheffers stated that there was no disagreement among the referees about the correctness of the call. He said that they simply verified the call and proceeded with the game.
