J.J. Watt Questions Officials After Patrick Mahomes And Kansas City Chiefs Lose Last-Second TD Against Denver Broncos

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs saw a game-winning touchdown erased in Denver,© Image via: X/@Chiefs

Four seconds. One yard. A chance to win it all. Patrick Mahomes dropped back, found Rashee Rice in the end zone, and Kansas City thought the job was done. Then a yellow flag floated down and flipped the entire afternoon. The Denver Broncos escaped Empower Field at Mile High with a 28-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and the whistles drew more attention than the scoreboard. CBS broadcaster J.J. Watt, officials, and angry fans all had plenty to say. Here is how a wild Sunday in the AFC West unfolded and why it matters.

J.J. Watt Questions Officials During The Kansas City Chiefs And Denver Broncos Game

Watt spent the day watching the referees as closely as the ball. Early in the fourth quarter, the crew took almost a minute to announce an ineligible downfield pass on Jaylon Moore. Watt had spotted the signal long before.

"These guys have been taking their time all day with these calls," Watt said on the broadcast. "I'm just going to say it. Like, let's go. We've got to get the calls. I want to get it right. I absolutely want to. But, I mean, this is a long time."

His view carries weight. He played defensive line for years, and he now holds the lead analyst seat at CBS. He also doubted a second-quarter holding flag on Kansas City guard Trey Smith.

A NEW ANGLE OF #CHIEFS GETTING SCREWED BY THE REFS HAS SURFACED. The controversial false start call wiped out Patrick Mahomes' game-winning touchdown to Rashee Rice. THIS COULD COST KANSAS CITY THE AFC WEST DIVISION TITLE. ABSOLUTELY AWFUL FOR KC. https://t.co/F4gg5EOITy

— MLFootball (@MLFootball) November 2, 2026

"I'll be honest, I don't see much of a hold there," Watt pointed out. "I can see why it looked like a hold to the referee but I do not think there was much of a hold there, and I'm a defensive lineman."

How The Rashee Rice Touchdown Penalty Changes The AFC West Race

The biggest flag came last. Mahomes hit Rice for what looked like the winning score, but officials flagged Moore for a false start. The touchdown vanished, the Chiefs lost five yards, and Mahomes took a six-yard sack on the next snap.

The quarterback kept his answer calm. "At the end of the day, you have to go with whatever's called," Mahomes said after the game. "But a lot of times in those big moments, the little stuff doesn't get called like that."

His wife, Brittany Mahomes, skipped the diplomacy. "You can't tell me you call that on a game-winning TD, oh wait yeah I can cause it's us," she wrote on her Instagram story. "That was the weakest call I have ever seen, you can't tell me otherwise."

The standings now carry the sting. Denver leads the division at 6-2, and Kansas City slipped to second place.

This also fits a larger pattern. Tom Brady said two roughing the passer calls "killed" the Green Bay Packers in their Week 7 game against the Detroit Lions. Then officials overturned a key Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown in the Lions' Week 8 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Fans may argue over each flag for weeks. The Chiefs can only control what they do next, because the whistle will not change.