Vikings Fans Were Irate After Two Apparent Missed Penalties Late Against the Chiefs

A confusing pass interference and a clear unsportsmanlike conduct call both appeared to be missed by officials.

The Vikings' comeback effort against the Chiefs on Sunday came up a bit short.

After trailing 27–13 heading into the fourth quarter, Minnesota was able to fight back to make it a one-score game, needing a touchdown to tie or potentially take the lead late.

Facing fourth-and-12 with just under five minutes left to play, Kirk Cousins threw up a prayer toward Jordan Addison in the end zone. The ball was over Addison's head, but a flag came down that appeared to be for pass interference on Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.

In response to the flag, Sneed took off his helmet to argue his case with the official, which should have brought an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, as players are not allowed to remove their helmets on the field of play. (Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell could be seen arguing for the flag on the sideline.) 

The #Chiefs got away with a pass interference AND L’Jarius Sneed not getting a penalty for taking his helmet off…

What is going on? pic.twitter.com/dL3vv8v1v3

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 8, 2023

But Sneed was not flagged for taking off his helmet and after the officials huddled for a moment, the pass interference flag was picked up. Mahomes appealed that the ball was tipped at the line, but replays showed that wasn't the case. The ball may have been deemed uncatchable, or the referees might have huddled and decided that not enough contact had been made to justify a pass interference penalty.

Regardless of the reasoning, after all that confusion, the result of the play was an incomplete pass and turnover on downs.

Fans following the game expressed confusion and frustration with the sequence.

I can dispute the interference call, but the official LITERALLY TELLING HIM TO PUT HIS HELMET BACK ON IS NUTS. At least back em up, they don’t need the help 🤣🤣 https://t.co/pDLLfd5Q6d

— fιfту ѕнα∂єѕ σf ℓιgнтѕкιи (@Anth22olson) October 8, 2023

refs are always wearing their chiefs uniforms underneath https://t.co/awHVN4emUI

— alli (@daisyedgarjnes) October 8, 2023

The Vikings would get one more possession with a chance to tie the game, but were unable to march down the field and score.

With the 27–20 loss, Minnesota falls to 1–4 on the season, with all four of their defeats coming in one-score games.