It’s been a little more than 24 hours, and New York Jets coach Robert Saleh is still upset about a holding call on Jets defensive back Sauce Gardner that negated an interception by Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes – and allowed the Chiefs to run out the clock, leading to a 23-20 Jets defeat.
Saleh was asked his opinion of the call on Monday.
“I’m just going to leave that one alone until I get a chance to get clarification (from the league),” Saleh was quoted, in a story by Dennis Waszak Jr., of the Associated Press (Debate continues over the controversial holding call in the Chiefs’ win over the Jets.
The call happened during a play late in the game, a third-down-and-20. Gardner was flagged for holding on Chiefs wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling, negating an interception that Mahomes threw on the play to Jets’ Michael Carter II, not only allowing the Chiefs to keep the ball, but giving them an automatic first down.
The Chiefs were able to run out the clock for the 23-20 win.
Saleh wound up getting a 15-yard penalty on himself for continuing to hell at the official who made the call. The crew was headed up by Gene Steratore.
For his part – of course – Mahomes agreed with the call in an interview with Kansas City sports radio station 610 AM.
“I mean, at the end of the day, you get your hands around the guy’s neck like 15 yards downfield, they’re going to call something,” the Chiefs quarterback said. “If it’s going to be holding or illegal contact, it’s just not allowed. Once I saw him grab him, I threw it up there to give Marquez a chance, kind of knowing the flag was going to come.
“You could see it from my position. I mean, I understand people want to let teams play and stuff like that, but you can’t get your hands around guys’ necks like that.”
Gardner didn’t see it that way in a statement on his X / Twitter account.
“…“I did not grab him, I actually made a conscious effort to remove my right arm as you can see in the video,” Gardner wrote. “He then tried to swim with his right hand and I pushed his arm down with my left hand lmaoo.. There yall have it. It was not a holding or illegal contact. Ohh my fault, it was holding bc he threw the flag.”
The Jets dropped to 1-3 on the season, although quarterback Zach Wilson played much better in defeat, going 28-of-39 for 245 yards and two touchdowns. The Jets came roaring back from a 17-0 deficit to almost get the win.
New York plays at Denver (1-3) this Sunday, at 3:25 p.m. Central on CBS. Denver just got its first win of the season in a comeback at Chicago.
The Chiefs have now won three straight after a season-opening loss at home to Detroit. KC plays at Minnesota (1-3) on Sunday, also at 3:25 p.m. on CBS.
