Referee Ron Torbert's crew assigned to work Chiefs-Bengals game

[Realbaddog]

Oh great, almost as bad as Cheffers.

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.

https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/2023...nnati-bengals/

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Again, why are you watching?

If you're so convinced it's rigged against the Chiefs, what possible pleasure could you get out of watching?

I have never once said the entire league is rigged or that most Chiefs' games involve officials who are actively trying to sabotage the team.

I just know a screw job when I see it, and I have seen it before from Torborg, so it's concerning he's reffing this game. I get concerned when I see Cheffers or Blakeman reffing as well. That's all.

I'm not expecting any issues based on what I've seen so far in the playoffs.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

Aren't most of the reeruns pimping the ref stuff on here from the DC section?

No idea.

But if you think the ref-blaming here is bad, you should see Chiefs-related social media.

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I guess we should give up then. We have no chance. The NFL and the refs are going to screw us.

I'll ask again - why watch if that's the case?

You guys make absolutely no sense. You're basically saying that you're going to bang your head against the wall until it bleeds and then blame the wall.

Point out to me where one person in this thread said the Chiefs are definitely going to lose because Torborg is officiating.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief

I have never once said the entire league is rigged or that most Chiefs' games involve officials who are actively trying to sabotage the team.

I just know a screw job when I see it, and I have seen it before from Torborg, so it's concerning he's reffing this game. I get concerned when I see Cheffers or Blakeman reffing as well. That's all.

I'm not expecting any issues based on what I've seen so far in the playoffs.

Okay then that begs the question - what is the issue?

If they're not actively trying to sabotage or steer a game, what exactly are they doing that's screwing the Chiefs so bad?

It's either rigged or it's not. There's no in-between.

[htismaqe]

Seriously. Put aside your emotions. Think about it, logically.

What you are arguing makes no sense at all. You're basically just hedging your bets. If the Chiefs win, it's not rigged. If they lose, it is.

There's a huge gap in your logic.

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Seriously. Put aside your emotions. Think about it, logically.

What you are arguing makes no sense at all. You're basically just hedging your bets. If the Chiefs win, it's not rigged. If they lose, it is.

There's a huge gap in your logic.

It's not black and white like you claim it is. Not once have I said every time the Chiefs lose, it's "rigged." They lost to the Bengals and Bills this regular season fair and square. Very little issue with the officiating in those games. They have lost plenty of games where officiating was perfectly fine.

However, there have been numerous games where there seems to be a bias against us. I'm not saying it only happens to us, or that there is some conspiracy behind it. With Cheffers, I think it's pretty clear that the guy has a grudge against our organization. I don't even see how anyone can deny it at this point.

In many cases, it is human error. When it's Blakeman calling roughing the passer because Chris Jones brushes Tom Brady's helmet with his hand during one of the most crucial plays and times of the game, I take a little issue with it when he was allowing Mahomes to get pulverized all game without reaching for his flag once. Or a phantom holding call on Eric Fisher when we tied the Steelers on a 2 point conversion in Smith's last year. Stuff like that can't be brushed aside as incompetence like so many of you claim.

Again, I don't go into these games hoping the officiating screws us so I can come on this board and bitch about it. I just call it like I see it, and I've seen a lot of bullshit against this team (and plenty of other teams) over the last few years.

[Coochie liquor]

Surely the CJ penalty against Indy that cost us the game was on the up and up!

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief

It's not black and white like you claim it is. Not once have I said every time the Chiefs lose, it's "rigged." They lost to the Bengals and Bills this regular season fair and square. Very little issue with the officiating in those games. They have lost plenty of games where officiating was perfectly fine.

However, there have been numerous games where there seems to be a bias against us. I'm not saying it only happens to us, or that there is some conspiracy behind it. With Cheffers, I think it's pretty clear that the guy has a grudge against our organization. I don't even see how anyone can deny it at this point.

In many cases, it is human error. When it's Blakeman calling roughing the passer because Chris Jones brushes Tom Brady's helmet with his hand during one of the most crucial plays and times of the game, I take a little issue with it when he was allowing Mahomes to get pulverized all game without reaching for his flag once. Or a phantom holding call on Eric Fisher when we tied the Steelers on a 2 point conversion in Smith's last year. Stuff like that can't be brushed aside as incompetence like so many of you claim.

Again, I don't go into these games hoping the officiating screws us so I can come on this board and bitch about it. I just call it like I see it, and I've seen a lot of bullshit against this team (and plenty of other teams) over the last few years.

Again, take the emotion out of it.

If you've seen a lot of bullshit against not only the Chiefs but "plenty of other teams", how is officiating a Chiefs problem? The simple answer is that it isn't. It affects the entire league, as you openly admitted, so there is no bias.

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Again, take the emotion out of it.

If you've seen a lot of bullshit against not only the Chiefs but "plenty of other teams", how is officiating a Chiefs problem? The simple answer is that it isn't. It affects the entire league, as you openly admitted, so there is no bias.

Right, I'm not claiming it's just an issue for us, but look at the calls I mentioned and explain them to me if they weren't meant to actively influence the outcomes of those particular games.

Again, we don't need to go at this ad nauseum. I don't expect everyone to think the way I do. You did come into a thread that was clearly meant to bitch about officials, so I don't know what else you were expecting to see.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief

Right, I'm not claiming it's just an issue for us, but look at the calls I mentioned and explain them to me if they weren't meant to actively influence the outcomes of those particular games.

Again, we don't need to go at this ad nauseum. I don't expect everyone to think the way I do. You did come into a thread that was clearly meant to bitch about officials, so I don't know what else you were expecting to see.

I was expecting to see people bitching about refs.

I came here specifically to tell people to stop bitching about the refs.

The Chiefs are going to win this weekend, with or without the refs.

[Kramerica]

I don't really think the refs are out to get the Chiefs. I do think Cheffers doesn't like them after Kelce's foot locker comment and whether he does it intentionally or not I think it could still have some bearing on how he officiates KC.

Torbert had some ridiculously bad calls in the cincy matchup last year but they are probably in line with how he calls dpi most of the time. I thought the block in the back call on the kickoff return was the worst.

[straycash]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

I already answered your question.

NFL refs have day jobs. They're human beings with flaws like everybody else.

NFL refs are largely incompetent. They don't steer a damn thing, they're just not good at their jobs.

This guy said a lot mumbo jumbo, then decided to have full blown mouth diarrhea in that last paragraph.. Listen bucko, if you're not good at your job you get fired, it's that simple, where's the accountability..

[notorious]

That Superbowl was complete bullshit.


I've never seen one-sided officiating like that in my life. If you look at the year leading up to the playoffs Tampa Bay OBLITERATED the PI and defensive holding calls records.

They have ALL the same receivers, QB, etc. now. The PI and Dholding penalties were normal the year before and after.

What changed for that ONE year?

[Bearcat]

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.

Nah, I've mentioned certain games as being completely unacceptable several times... the Brady SB, the one Texans drive where dude runs into a safety and draws a DPI (among like 3 other calls that drive), thr regular season Bengals game last year that was just a cluster**** of flags in the 4th quarter (including a terrible DPI). Hell, I was annoyed at the flags in the 2nd half of Bills/Bengals given there were hardly any in the first half, and that the NFL chooses a guy who throws 20% more flags than anyone else to go to the SB.

I've always tried to meet you guys somewhere in the middle, but it just comes back as purposeful bias against the Chiefs and acting like you know what the NFL is doing or what they want, while ignoring all of the contradictions and embarrassment of getting shit wrong (if you haven't heard, the Bills are winning the Super Bowl this year for several reasons, and the NFL really wants to try out neutral site CGs).

[Coochie liquor]

Originally Posted by notorious

That Superbowl was complete bullshit.


I've never seen one-sided officiating like that in my life. If you look at the year leading up to the playoffs Tampa Bay OBLITERATED the PI and defensive holding calls records.

They have ALL the same receivers, QB, etc. now. The PI and Dholding penalties were normal the year before and after.

What changed for that ONE year?

I’m gonna go with a player joined their team who almost always gets calls to go his way. Except for this season.