NFL referees will be a focal point in the Super Bowl matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Conspiracy theories have surrounded Patrick Mahomes and Co. with fans believing the league is looking out for its top team.
Commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about the narrative during a media appearance this week. He says that it’s “ridiculous” to think the NFL is purposely favoring one side.
“That’s a ridiculous theory — for anyone who might take it seriously. But at the end of the day, it’s something we always have to continue to work on: How do we make our officiating better?”
That being said, Kansas City has been the beneficiary of questionable calls throughout the season. Earlier in the year, they beat the Bengals thanks in part to a defensive pass interference penalty called against Cincinnati. The next week, they escaped an upset against Atlanta when a penalty flag wasn’t thrown in a very similar situation.
The story’s been the same throughout the playoffs. Against Houston, the Chiefs scored 10 points after controversial unnecessary roughness penalties were called for hits on Patrick Mahomes. They won the game by nine points.
The next week, a questionable spot on a Buffalo Bills fourth down ended a crucial drive. Kansas City took over after the turnover on downs and took the lead on the ensuing possession.
The conspiracies seem far-fetched but there’s no argument the Chiefs have been on the receiving end of debatable calls in close games this year. Head referee Ron Tolbert is calling this year’s Super Bowl. His tendencies and past history have recently been unveiled.
How has Super Bowl referee Ron Tolbert called past games involving the Chiefs and Eagles?
Kansas City is 3-1 both straight up and against the spread in Tolbert-officiated contests. The Eagles are 4-2 straight up and are currently on a four-game winning streak.
According to Action Network, he’s “consistently ranked among the officials who call the most penalties.” A large majority of those infractions have involved defensive pass interference and offensive holding.
Interestingly, Tolbert has called 33 penalties against the Chiefs in those four past games. He’s thrown just 22 flags against Kansas City competition.
Meanwhile, the Eagles’ offense has thrived with Tolbert leading the officiating charge. They’ve racked up 30+ points three of the last four times the referee has been on the field.
Lastly, betting favorites thrive when Ron Tolbert is leading the charge. This season, those teams went 13-4 against the spread while favorites are 90-71-2 ATS in games Tolbert’s officiated throughout his career.
Kansas City enters the game as a slight one-point favorite. We’ll soon see if that trend continues on Super Bowl Sunday.
The post Super Bowl Referee Stats Unveiled As Chiefs Conspiracies Swirl appeared first on BroBible.
Super Bowl Referee Stats Unveiled As Chiefs Conspiracies Swirl
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