KCKingdom
Fansided

Chiefs Catch Big Break With Referee Assignment for Week 2 vs. Bengals

The Kansas City Chiefs have received great news when it comes to the referee assignment for their Week 2 tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals.

By Devon Platana

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) talks with referee Clete Blakeman (34) against the Washington Commanders prior to the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) talks with referee Clete Blakeman (34) against the Washington Commanders prior to the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
facebooktwitterreddit

The Kansas Chiefs picked up from where they left off following February's Super Bowl victory, picking up a 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens to begin the 2024 NFL season. The time to bask in the glory of the victory is over, though, as the defending champions must turn their attention to a Week 2 showdown against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Even though games are decided between the players on the gridiron, it's no secret that referees can also impact the outcome of a matchup. Fortunately, the Chiefs have caught a big break when it comes to their Week 2 referee assignment against the Bengals.

Chiefs News: Alex Kemp Named Referee for Week 2 vs Bengals

The NFL officially revealed its Week 2 referee assignments on Wednesday and it'll be none other than Alex Kemp who officiates the upcoming Chiefs vs. Bengals tilt.

The Chiefs are playing at Arrowhead Stadium this week, which means Kemp being the referee could benefit them. Host teams often benefited from the 10-year veteran's presence last season as only 47.1% of his calls went to the home team whereas the league average sat at 49.0%.

Since graduating from side judge to referee in 2018, the Chiefs are a perfect 4-0 when Kemp officiates a game — including a 2-0 record at Arrowhead. Conversely, the Bengals are 5-1 when he's on the field during that stretch with each of those instances occurring on the road.

The Bengals only took two penalties for 10 yards in Week 1 while the Chiefs were called six times for 45 yards, leaving time to tell how those numbers change with Kemp's presence. His games last season averaged 12.7 calls for 100.8 yards and he just made 16 calls for 158 yards during last week's Giants vs. Vikings showdown.

Regardless of Kemps' tendencies, Kansas City's outlook is looking bright at the moment. The Chiefs are currently the 5.5-point home favorites over the Bengals, per FanDuel Sportsbook, as we near the Week 2 collision.

More Chiefs news and rumors:

feed

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Home/Kansas City Chiefs