Ninth-year NFL referee Ron Torbert and his crew have been assigned as the officials for the AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.
Torbert hasn’t officiated a Chiefs game this season, but fans will remember him from 2021, and not in a good way. He was an unscheduled white-hat substitution for John Hussey against the Bengals during their Week 17 regular-season loss. During that game, Torbert’s crew called 10 penalties for 83 yards against Kansas City. It was the second-most penalties the Chiefs had called against them in a single game that season.
If we’re only considering the 2022 NFL season as evidence, Torbert and his crew have been among the best in the league in terms of penalty volume. In 16 games officiated, their 172 penalties called are good for the fourth-fewest in the NFL. That said, once a penalty is called by Torbert’s crew, expect it to stand. Their 20 dismissed penalties are the second-fewest in the NFL this season. They’ve officiated fairly even on the home (89) and away (83) fronts so far this season.
As far as how this crew officiates, they’re definitely not a “let them play” crew and they almost always side with the offense. Torbert’s 17 defensive pass interference penalties tie for the second-most in the league this season. For comparison’s sake, they’ve only called four offensive pass interference penalties all year. The Chiefs lead the NFL in defensive pass interference penalties this season (14) while the Bengals are right around the league average (6). Basically, expect Ja’Marr Chase to continue to get away with pushing off and Chiefs defenders to be penalized for any contact downfield.
Originally Posted by -King-:
People are preemptively bitching about officiating without even knowing that playoff crews are different from regular season crews. It's fascinating.
The Chiefs could win the SB and people would cry about Cheffers reffing the first game next season.
And not complain in September, but the day after the SB, because the league will want to set the tone for 2023 because they hate the Chiefs and will make sure they don't win it all again. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Just stop. If you're so firmly convinced that there's some grand conspiracy, stop watching.
Is that what I said? Not being naive to what I've seen in the past does not equate to me believing in a grand conspiracy. It means I watch with my eyes and believe what I see on the field. The proof is in the last two weeks, where not one game was really tainted with a game changing call.
Originally Posted by Bearcat:
The Chiefs could win the SB and people would cry about Cheffers reffing the first game next season.
And not complain in September, but the day after the SB, because the league will want to set the tone for 2023 because they hate the Chiefs and will make sure they don't win it all again.
Eh the first game of the season wouldn’t bother me. Too early. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Bearcat:
The Chiefs could win the SB and people would cry about Cheffers reffing the first game next season.
And not complain in September, but the day after the SB, because the league will want to set the tone for 2023 because they hate the Chiefs and will make sure they don't win it all again.
Sure, and if they lose it again largely because of him (like they already have once) you will be here in September telling us all we are crazy for thinking he will screw us. Again. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief:
Is that what I said? Not being naive to what I've seen in the past does not equate to me believing in a grand conspiracy. It means I watch with my eyes and believe what I see on the field. The proof is in the last two weeks, where not one game was really tainted with a game changing call.
Hoping for the same this week.
You believe that officials (and the NFL) operate as agents to steer games towards specific outcomes.
The only proof that you've seen in the last 2 weeks (and in the regular season in general) is the referees are human and therefore potentially incompetent.
That's where the inconsistencies come from. Not from some need to steer games for profit or whatever. [Reply]
Originally Posted by :
That said, once a penalty is called by Torbert’s crew, expect it to stand. Their 20 dismissed penalties are the second-fewest in the NFL this season.
I consider this a good thing. Never understand officials throwing flags and then picking them up. If you don't SEE it, don't CALL it. Not that complicated. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
You believe that officials (and the NFL) operate as agents to steer games towards specific outcomes.
The only proof that you've seen in the last 2 weeks (and in the regular season in general) is the referees are human and therefore potentially incompetent.
That's where the inconsistencies come from. Not from some need to steer games for profit or whatever.
You think Cheffers crew called a fair game in the SB against Tampa? [Reply]
Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief:
Sure, and if they lose it again largely because of him (like they already have once) you will be here in September telling us all we are crazy for thinking he will screw us. Again.
We lost a game where we scored 9 points and Mahomes was literally running for his life largely because of the refs? [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
You think Cheffers even mattered once Fisher went down in the AFCCG?
Uh yeah at least a little. A record number of penalty in the first half to completely neuter us. Brady runs after HB and HB gets a UC flag. Yeah I remember at least being able to somewhat move the ball in the beginning of the game, but the penalties kept us from gaining momentum. Idk if we could have won, but that game was never called fairly. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
You think Cheffers even mattered once Fisher went down in the AFCCG?
Are you freaking kidding me right now? The Chiefs were right there in that game until Cheffers started handing Brady free TDs, allowing the Bucs to tee off on Mahomes when the Chiefs had to go into full on desperation mode.
Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief:
Are you freaking kidding me right now? The Chiefs were right there in that game until Cheffers started handing Brady free TDs, allowing the Bucs to tee off on Mahomes when the Chiefs had to go into full on desperation mode.
Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief:
Are you freaking kidding me right now? The Chiefs were right there in that game until Cheffers started handing Brady free TDs, allowing the Bucs to tee off on Mahomes when the Chiefs had to go into full on desperation mode.
