Vance Joseph, Broncos Rip Refs for Play-Clock Error on Chiefs' Final Drive

The Denver Broncos dropped to 2-2 on the season with a 27-23 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, but they felt the referees missed calling a penalty on a crucial play late in the game. 

With Kansas City trailing 23-20 just before the two-minute warning, the Chiefs faced a 3rd-and-7 from the Denver 46-yard line. As Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attempted to get his team ready for the play, the play clock ran all the way down to zero and no flag was thrown.

Mahomes wound up finding tight end Demetrius Harris for a 35-yard gain to set up the game-winning score a few plays later.

"My opinion, the clock was on zero," Denver coach Vance Joseph said after the game, according to ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold. "But that's not my job. ... And he said he looked up and it was zero and the ball was gone. I disagree. I disagree."

Joseph was not the only Bronco to feel like a penalty should have been called. Denver linebacker Brandon Marshall revealed an official admitted the crew missed the call.

"It definitely was at zero, the replay showed that," Marshall said, per Legwold. "The ref told us that the ref that was supposed to be watching it just missed it. ... He told us that, the ref told us the guy that was supposed to be watching the clock just missed it.

"So maybe he got caught up in watching the game because it was a good game, but you've got to do your job. Come on. That was huge. That was big."

Denver cornerback Chris Harris Jr. also took issue with the missed call—but made sure to say that wasn't the reason his team lost the game.

"That was crazy, man," Harris said. "It was zero seconds on the clock, forever. ...[You] can't review it, I asked everything. If a ref messed up on a call, you should be able to fix it. Dude, look how long the clock was on zero. That's not why we lost the game—but that was a huge, huge, no-call."

Kansas City still needed 11 yards after the pivotal no-call, and Denver was unable to come up with a stop. It took the Chiefs three plays to find the end zone, as running back Kareem Hunt gave his team the lead for good with a four-yard touchdown run with 1:39 to play.

Denver got the ball for one final drive but was unable to come up with a score of its own for the win. The Broncos drove 47 yards but only made it to the Chiefs' 28-yard line before turning it over on downs.

Kansas City (4-0) remained undefeated after rallying from 10 points down in the fourth, while Denver now sits two games back in the AFC West.