Chiefs Ref Controversy: The real reason flag was pulled out before Patrick Mahomes even hit the ground

Seemingly too often, the Kansas City Chiefs become embroiled in referee controversies. Sometimes it's warranted, but most of the time it's just fans trying to find excuses against a team that keeps winning games.

In Week 3, another conspiracy theory emerged thanks to a roughing the passer penalty against the Miami Dolphins that occurred in the Chiefs' own end zone with the game at 17-10. The Chiefs got a first down on 3rd-and-9 thanks to the penalty, then went on to kick a field goal and put the game out of reach .

More than the decision to throw a flag on the play due to the defender making a " body weight " tackle that was bang-bang, fans picked up on the referee reaching for his flag before Patrick Mahomes was even hit . Many believed it was a clear case of preemptive bias. But that's not the case at all.

Zach Sieler clearly committed defensive holding penalty on play Patrick Mahomes earned a roughing the passer penalty

In fact, the referee was reaching for his flag for a different penalty , also against the Dolphins. Zach Sieler was called for a defensive holding penalty . Non-Chiefs fans tried to argue that the holding penalty was also a ticky-tack call, but the film shows Sieler clearly holding the right guard's arm, which doesn't allow him to block the defender that ended up hitting Mahomes .

The roughing the passer call certainly appeared somewhat subjective, but even if it wasn't called, the Dolphins were going to get flagged for defensive holding by Sieler. That would have been an automatic first down, just not as much yardage as the roughing the passer penalty.