One of the most serious plays in the Cincinnati Bengals’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 included a taunt by Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase toward the referee, which resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Cincinnati.
Chase declined to comment on the incident after the match. Head referee Alex Kemp was contacted after the match by a billiards reporter who was asked for a statement by local Cincinnati media.
Bengals Wrap: Missed opportunities cost top game in Kansas City
Bengals reporter Kelsey Conway analyzes the Bengals’ Week 2 loss to the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
What happened with Ja’Marr Chase’s punishment?
It became clear that Chase was upset because he felt the referees had overlooked what he believed was an illegal hip-drop tackle by Kansas City cornerback Trent McDuffie on him.
In hopes of reducing the number of hip drop tackles in today’s NFL, the league implemented a new rule this offseason that states that a hip drop tackle results in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. Players can also be penalized by the NFL for doing so.
The referees at Sunday’s game did not believe McDuffie’s tackle was a hip-drop tackle, and Chase was visibly upset. Chase lost his composure and took his anger out on the referee, who called the flag.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow rushed to pull Chase away and de-escalate the situation, Cincinnati’s quarterback said after the game. As Chase left the field, he threw his helmet onto the Bengals’ sideline.
Ultimately, Chase’s penalty didn’t cost the Bengals any points because the team was still in field goal range and Evan McPherson made his 53-yard attempt. But there’s no denying that it was a “what if” moment for the Bengals because if Chase had walked away and not taken a penalty, Cincinnati would have had a third-and-8 attempt from the 45-yard line and who knows what could have happened in that scenario.
Questions and answers with NFL chief referee Alex Kemp after the Bengals vs. Chiefs game
Question: What was your interpretation, or could you just explain to me why Ja’Marr Chase was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct?
Kemp: “It’s pretty clear. It’s just insulting a referee. That’s all. And there was really no interpretation. I’m not going to repeat to you what he said, but there was no interpretation of the language he used – just insulting.”
Question: As a referee, how do you decide when a player crosses the line and goes from pure disagreement to insulting a referee?
Kemp: “The simple answer is: obscene language used by grown men or direct, personal insults towards a referee. That is the limit. When that line is crossed, we simply cannot allow it in professional football.”
Question: Can you say what he was upset about?
Kemp: “He questioned the tackle. He thought he had been tackled with a hip-drop tackle on the previous play. And so he came to me and asked me if it was a hip-drop tackle. That was the start of the questioning.”
Question: In retrospect, did you feel that the hip drop was the right decision? Did you explain that to him at the time?
Kemp: “We told him that we did not believe it was a hip-drop tackle.”
