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Gene Steratore sends stern message to AFC title refs calling Chiefs-Bills

Chandler Vesselsby:Chandler Vessels•01/26/25•

ChandlerVessels

gene steratore
Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

CBS Sports analyst and former NFL referee Gene Steratore made a plea to the officiating crew ahead of Sunday’s AFC Championship between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. Put it simply, he just wants to let the players play, for the most part.

Tensions are high after a couple of controversial calls in the Chiefs win against the Texans that seemed to go the way of Patrick Mahomes. That in mind, Steratore asked officials to step in only when necessary.

“Let them play physical, right up to that line of being a foul,” Steratore wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Call the obvious and let the incidental/small stuff fall by the wayside. This is the conference championship game, it will be clean – both teams are exceptionally coached and aren’t new to this moment.

Once the game got underway, Steratore also joined Tony Romo and Jim Nantz for a brief moment in the booth. There he added to his message, giving his opinion on the use of replay assist to help officials on the field get the call correct.

“I’m OK with it,” he said. “You want to get it right. But I think we have to be cognizant not to get overly technical with it, make it too big, but fix it.”

Gene Steratore calls out officials over controversial spot to help Chiefs vs. Bills

The Chiefs are notorious for getting help from the officials in the National Football League and they got another gift on Sunday night in the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen was trying to get a yard on a quarterback sneak, on a critical fourth down play in the fourth quarter. Officials reviewed the play, and ruled that he didn’t get it. Gene Steratore called out the officiating after the decision.

“I felt like he gained it by about a third of the football, Jim. That was just my take on the play. Tough, tough play,” Steratore said.

After the controversial stop, the Chiefs proceeded to drive down the field and score a touchdown, putting them up 29-22 in the fourth quarter. It was a critical call that infuriated many Bills fans across the country, none being bigger than Barstool’s Dave Portnoy, who has $1 million on the line if Buffalo wins the Super Bowl.

On3’s Wade Peery contributed to this report.