Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce says at least one referee blew the game dead before his team lost a fumble during Friday’s final wave of offense against the Chiefs.
The bizarre play, in which the Raiders had a miscommunication that left quarterback Aidan O’Connell unaware that a shotgun snap was coming his way, ended the Raiders’ hopes of winning with a last-second field goal. The Raiders were flagged for an illegal shift in play, which the Chiefs refused, but it sounded like a referee blew the play dead due to a false start, which would have negated the snap.
“We heard a whistle on our sideline,” Pierce told reporters on Saturday.
Pierce said he would send that play to the league’s officiating office and ask for an explanation, but he said this is a typical exercise after every game when the team has questions about a call.
The referee on the Raiders sideline appeared to blow his whistle and signal a timeout before the Chiefs pounced on the loose ball, which should have meant the play didn’t count. Pierce has a valid complaint about that.
