Tom Brady Shuts Down Reid and Mahomes Over That Flinch

Tom Brady reviewed the play that cost the Kansas City Chiefs a potential game-winning touchdown against the Denver Broncos.

He reached a different conclusion than Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

Brady addressed the controversy during his latest FOX Sports power rankings segment.

"I hate pouring salt in the wound, but the knee flinched," Brady said.

"The refs made the right call."

The play in question happened with four seconds left in the fourth quarter on November 1, 2026.

Mahomes appeared to find Rashee Rice for a touchdown that would have given Kansas City a 30-28 victory.

Officials flagged right tackle Jaylon Moore for a false start before the snap.

The touchdown was wiped out.

Kansas City had to run another play from the six-yard line.

Mahomes was sacked by Denver's Malcolm Roach on the next snap.

The Chiefs lost 28-24.

The defeat dropped Kansas City to 5-2 after opening the season with five straight wins.

It was the team's second consecutive loss.

Reid questioned the penalty during his postgame press conference.

"I didn't see it," Reid said.

"That's one man's opinion. I saw him move his head, but I didn't see a false start."

Mahomes also expressed frustration about the timing of the call.

"But a lot of times in those big moments, the little stuff doesn't get called like that," Mahomes told reporters.

Brady looked at the same footage and disagreed.

The former New England Patriots quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion pointed to Moore's knee.

He said the movement was clear enough for a flag.

NFL rules prohibit any offensive player from making a sudden movement that simulates the start of the play before the ball is snapped.

A false start is a five-yard penalty.

Because it occurs before the snap, the down is replayed.

In this case, the penalty moved Kansas City from the one-yard line back to the six-yard line.

Brady's comment carried weight because of his experience reading defensive alignments and pre-snap movement over 23 NFL seasons.

He has called games for FOX Sports since retiring after the 2022 season.

His power rankings segment airs weekly during the regular season.

The Chiefs' loss to Denver was not just about one penalty.

Kansas City committed 11 penalties for 105 yards against the Broncos.

Those mistakes contributed to the team's inability to protect an 11-point fourth-quarter lead.

The Chiefs led 24-13 before Denver scored 15 unanswered points.

The game also exposed a deeper problem for Kansas City.

Three of the team's final four plays took place from the one-yard line.

One of those was the negated touchdown.

The Chiefs could not gain one yard in short-yardage situations despite having a running back mentioned in MVP conversations.

Kenneth Walker III, acquired before the trade deadline, was stopped on a handoff from the one-yard line earlier in the drive.

The failure to convert from close range has fueled debate about Kansas City's play-calling.

Reid has shown reluctance to use Mahomes on quarterback sneaks since Mahomes dislocated his kneecap on a sneak against Denver in October 2019.

Mahomes missed the remainder of that game and the next two.

The Chiefs have rarely called a sneak for Mahomes since that injury.

Mahomes said after the Denver loss that he is not afraid to run the play.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to win," Mahomes said.

"It's not like I'm scared to go out there and put my body on the line."

Reid has defended the approach, saying the team has been successful without the sneak.

Statistics show the Chiefs rank ninth on third-and-short with a 61.7 percent success rate.