Chiefs’ fate took a harsh turn against the Broncos as they ended up with a 28-24 loss. But one controversial referee move created confusion for the team, and Andy Reid is demanding answers.

During a Monday Zoom call with reporters after the Broncos’ loss, reporter Soren Petro asked Reid if the NFL would contact the Chiefs about the punt situation. Reid said he expected the league to review the incident and explain what went wrong.

“One of the great things they do is they try to learn from things, and they try to stay on top of that, and give you corrections, right or wrong,” Reid said. “They give you their feeling on it, and what they saw. They’re very open about those types of situations.”

The NFL usually checks such situations and tells teams whether the officials handled them correctly or made a mistake.

It all started when the Chiefs were leading 24-13 when they faced third-and-6 from their own 36-yard line in the fourth quarter. Patrick Mahomes threw a short pass to running back Emmett Johnson, who was tackled before reaching the first-down marker.

Officials also flagged right tackle Jaylon Moore for illegal man downfield, but Denver coach Sean Payton declined the penalty. Kansas City was left facing fourth down.

The confusion started when officials initially placed the ball about two yards short of the first-down marker. The Chiefs believed they needed two yards to keep possession, so Andy Reid sent the punt team onto the field.

However, after the punt team came out, officials moved the ball forward to less than a foot from the marker. That meant the Chiefs were much closer to getting a first down than they had initially thought.

By then, the Chiefs had little time to change their decision, so Matt Araiza punted the ball. The declined penalty did not cost Kansas City any yards, but the initial ball placement affected how the team approached the situation.

The guys that were holding the ball, spotting the ball, were two yards away from the ball,” Reid said after the game. “So that’s where it’s supposed to be spotted. Then, the clock’s running, and they moved the ball up to a foot for a fourth down. So that’s what happened. Mechanically, I wasn’t sure exactly how they were operating with that.”

But this wasn’t the only mistake that happened to them against the Broncos. With just four seconds left, Mahomes threw a pass to Rashee Rice in the end zone, and it looked like the Chiefs had scored. But officials called a false start on right tackle Jaylon Moore, wiping out the touchdown.

The penalty was Kansas City’s 11th of the game and moved the offense five yards farther from the end zone. This made the next play more difficult for Mahomes. He had to drop back farther to make the throw, but Denver defensive tackle Malcolm Roach got to him and recorded a sack, ending the game and Kansas City’s hopes of a comeback.

That one major remained a major reason for their loss.

Andy Reid is doubling down on the team’s troubles

The Chiefs struggled to turn their offensive production into enough points. Despite gaining 399 yards and holding the ball for 31 minutes and 29 seconds, they scored only 24 points.

Penalties made things worse, as Kansas City committed 11 penalties for 105 yards, compared to Denver’s six penalties for 45 yards. These mistakes cost the Chiefs valuable yards and disrupted their drives, making it harder to finish scoring opportunities.

“Offensively, when we stalled, we normally had something that was self-inflicted, and not necessarily what they (the Broncos) did. I don’t like penalties. Do they upset me? Yeah, they upset me,” Reid said to the media after the Broncos loss. “You want to make sure that you’re not taking things away from yourself. The games are too close and too hard, and that’s no more obvious than yesterday. But you learn from this. We’re a young football team, one of the youngest in the National Football League.”

Despite all the struggles, Andy Reid is showing immense trust in his team.

“I’ve got guys who know how to win games,” Reid said. “They understand that the season is long, but there’s an urgency to take care of business now. They know the reality of it.”

Now, let’s wait and see if this trust can take them to the Super Bowl this season or not.