Travis Kelce might have committed the dumbest penalty of the weekend, but Eric Fisher gets tagged with the biggest.
The setup: A Spencer Ware touchdown closed the Chiefs' deficit against the Steelers to 18-16 with less than three minutes to play in Sunday's divisional playoffs. On the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, Alex Smith found Demetrius Harris in the back of the end zone to tie the game.
If only for a moment. Laundry was on the field and Fisher was called for holding on Steelers linebacker James Harrison. If it is any solace to eternally heavy-heartedChiefs fans -- OK, doubtful -- the call was legit. Fisher tackled Harrison rather than let the ageless defender throw a helmet party on Smith's ribcage.
Not everybody saw it that way. Man, Travis Kelce needs to go on a Don Draper meditation journey.
"The momentum's getting on our side and then just get our jugulars ripped out because the refs felt bad for James Harrison falling on the ground. It's ignorance. The ref, number 51, he shouldn't be able to wear a zebra jersey ever again," Kelce said of the game official who made the call, referee Carl Cheffers, after the loss. "He shouldn't even be able to work at a f------ Foot Locker."
Backed up 10 yards after the foul, the Chiefs failed on their second conversion attempt. When the D couldn't get a three-and-out stop on Pittsburgh's next possession, it was all over.
Fisher, of course, was once the No. 1 overall pick for the Chiefs, who envisioned him as their skilled blindside protector for a decade-plus. It hasn't quite worked out that way, and on Sunday Fisher's Chiefs career reached its nadir. Playoff life ain't easy, and he expressed as much after the game.
"As much as I want to sit here right now and apologize to my teammates, I don't think they'd want that right now," Fisher said. "We've got support for each other and we've got each other's backs. We don't point fingers around here, It's a group effort and we just came out on the low end today."
