Gene Steratore Weighs In on Bengals-Chiefs Officiating Debate

The Kansas City Chiefs won a spectacular 26-25 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium, making them the Super Bowl champions. It took a dramatic comeback led by Patrick Mahomes, who completed a late game-winning drive that was capped off by a game-winning field goal by Harrison Butker.

The score was 2-4 down with only a few minutes left in the 4th quarter. Mahomes led the game's last drive, putting the team in the Bengals’ red zone. At such a crucial time, Bengals’ rookie safety Daijahn Anthony was assessed with a defensive pass interference penalty for contacting Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice, which helped the Chiefs gain ground into field goal territory.

This pass interference call stirred controversy with the NFL for the wrong reasons. Some fans and analysts thought it was an appropriate ruling while others felt the crowd interference benefitted Chiefs more than it should’ve as it gave the ‘home’ team the advantage.

Steratore Defends Call

Positioning himself on one side of the debate, CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore made his position earnestly during the molecular level of the network's live broadcast. Ashamed of the lawmakers, he defended: “That’s early contact.

And it is a catchable ball”. The remarks were made in defense of the referees, which stirred up much debate among the fans, some supporting Steratore's views on the matter while others insisted there was no rationale for the decision.

The win means the Chiefs now have a perfect 2-0 record per the first two games of the 2024 season. The Kansas City team has now recorded two close wins, one of which was last week's near victory over the Ravens. Once again, Mahomes and the Chiefs have re-established themselves as the league’s most dominant team.

In contrast, the Bengals have begun their season on a disappointing note, with no wins in two matches. Joe Burrow and the offensive unit haven’t yet hit form in these early games. The pressure on the young signal caller and the Bengals' coaching staff will be on as the weeks go by and the team tries to put a run together.