NFL
Bizarre late call from the Chiefs infuriates fans
The Kansas City Chiefs ran out 23-14 winners over the Houston Texans but supporters across the country will be furious with an unusual late decision.
For the seventh successive season, the Kansas City Chiefs will take their place in the AFC Conference final next weekend. The Chiefs saw off a spirited performance from the Houston Texans on Saturday to secure a 23-14 win at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs held a narrow 13-12 lead going into the fourth quarter but pulled away in the final stages. They could have ended with an even bigger lead but with 15 seconds remaining they took a bizarre decision in a bid to close out the game.
Chiefs punter Matt Araiza ran the ball out of play at the death when the score was at 23-12. That safety gave the Texans a two point bonus, taking the score to 23-14 to end the game.
The Chiefs cruised to victory but those who bet on them may have been ruing that decision. The betting line closed at 9.5, meaning that the Chiefs’ eventual nine-point win was not enough for a bet on the Chiefs to be a winning one. That late call, with just a few seconds remaining, may have been very, very consequential for anyone with a bet on Saturday’s action.
Why did the Chiefs take an intentional safety?
Betters around the country will be wondering why the Chiefs didn’t simply punt the ball and rely on their defence to see out the game. With so little time remaining it was incredibly unlikely that the the Chiefs could lose, but there was a slim window for the Texans.
Had Araiza attempted a punt and seen it blocked the Texans could easily have scored a touchdown to cut the lead to five. With a few seconds left on the clock, a colossal mistake from the Chiefs could have given the Texans another opportunity to score in the final seconds, and theoretically take the win.
It would have been an unthinkable finish for any team, let alone a championship-winning group as ruthless as the Chiefs. But Saturday’s unusual safety decision does demonstrate that relentlessness, unwilling to give opponents the slimmest chance of a comeback.
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