When you play a football game in sub-zero temperatures, you’re going to see some crazy things happen and that is exactly what we saw during the Chiefs-Dolphins Wild Card playoff game.
With a kickoff temperature of minus-4 degrees — the fourth-coldest game in NFL history — produced an unforgettable moment when Patrick Mahomes’ helmet partly shattered after the Chiefs’ quarterback took a vicious hit during the third quarter.
At that point, the officials probably should have stopped the game so Mahomes could get a new helmet, but instead, they let the Chiefs run another play.
After that play, they would stop the game to allow Mahomes to switch out helmets.
According to rules expert Terry McAulay, the officiating crew in the Wild Card Game screwed up royally during that moment.
McAulay says that the Chiefs should’ve been forced to either take a timeout or Mahomes had to be removed from the game.
“Equipment change, they stopped the clock,” said McAulay. “He really should have to go out or they take a time-out.”
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Mike Tirico even pointed this out during the game.
“They are going to let them do that without a timeout and just stop the game for an equipment change. And stop the play clock, which is kind of interesting. You don’t see that without them having to take a timeout. I know it’s Mahomes, but I’m surprised they didn’t have to take a timeout to do that.”
Mahomes told reporters postgame that he didn’t realize his helmet was broken until teammates informed him.
“I didn’t know what happened in the moment but I got in the huddle and everyone was telling me, but I was like, ‘I got y’all, but I’m not coming out of the game, so we can figure it out on the sideline,'” Mahomes said. “It was a first for me.”
The Chiefs ended up getting a Harrison Butker field goal on the drive to push their lead to 19-7 and never looked back.
If the Buffalo Bills win their Wild Card game, they will play the Chiefs. If the Steelers win, the Chiefs will play the Houston Texans.
