Thanks to their dominance, virtually every game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs becomes a referendum on the NFL referees. Since last season, in particular, fans have made it a point to nitpick every decision made in their games. As a result, scrutiny has been at an all-time high, with the league trying to ensure that very few disputes arise during the Chiefs’ matchups.
This week will be no different as they try to secure their first win of the season against the New York Giants on the road in MetLife Stadium. With the game slated for prime time on Sunday Night Football, all eyes of the football world will be on the potential collapse of the Chiefs’ dynasty. As a result, the league is taking no chances and sending in a veteran to handle the referring duties.
Referees for Chiefs vs. Giants
The conversation around the games featuring Kansas City has also continued this season. After a relatively quiet affair in Week 1, the limelight was back on the game when the sports world’s focus shifted to the tush push.
Thanks to some complaints from Tom Brady, who was on the Fox broadcast, there has been a league-wide focus on calling the play more fairly. However, the conversation around referees in Chiefs games has reignited again.
To avoid any pitfalls, the NFL has chosen Land Clark, who is entering his sixth season as a referee, and his crew to officiate the Sunday Night Football contest against the New York Giants.
A product of the NFL Officiating Development program, Clark was a referee at the collegiate level in the Pac-12 conference and even officiated some bowl games. Eventually, he made his way over to the NFL in 2018 as a field judge.
Two years later, at the start of the 2020 season, he was promoted to the referee position following Walt Anderson’s retirement. As far as his history with the Chiefs is concerned, he was the official in charge when they took on the Buffalo Bills in the regular season last year.
It served as Kansas City’s only loss of the regular season with Patrick Mahomes playing at quarterback, as the Bills won 30-21, to hand the Chiefs their first loss of the season after starting the year 9-0.
Clark’s crew for the season is as follows:
- Umpire: Mark Pellis
- Down Judge: Tom Stephan
- Line Judge: Jeff Hutcheon
- Field Judge:Â Jabir Walker
- Side Judge: Dominique Pender
- Back Judge:Â Brad Freeman
- Replay Official: Gerald Frye
- Replay Assistant: Kris Raper
