Legendary Tom Brady criticizes referee Alex Kemp’s crew for “favoring” the Broncos after controversial play costs Patriots points in AFC Championship

The controversy surrounding the AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos has yet to cool down, and this time the fire was fueled by Tom Brady. The Patriots legend publicly expressed his frustration with an officiating decision he believes altered the course of the game.

The disputed moment occurred late in the second quarter, when New England’s defense applied pressure and knocked the ball loose from the Broncos’ quarterback, returning it all the way to the end zone. The whistle, however, blew too early. The play was initially ruled an incomplete pass before later being confirmed as a fumble. As a result, a clear defensive touchdown was wiped off the board.

THE NEW ENGLAND #PATRIOTS JUST GOT ROBBED OF A TOUCHDOWN IN THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

THE REFS SCREWED THEM BY BLOWING A WHISTLE WAY TOO EARLY.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE TO HAPPEN IN A PLAYOFF GAME.

WOW.

pic.twitter.com/t96q3mHSUN

— MLFootball (@MLFootball) January 25, 2026

Brady, watching the game in his role as an analyst, did not hide his anger. “In an AFC Championship, you can’t blow the whistle that early. Let the play finish and then use replay to fix it. When you take six points away like that, you’re directly interfering with the game,” Brady said, his tone firm and openly frustrated.

Brady’s criticism focused on the officiating crew led by Alex Kemp. While stopping short of accusing intentional wrongdoing, Brady argued that the inconsistent handling of the situation created the sense of an unfair disadvantage for the Patriots. “When every 50–50 call keeps going one way, that feeling of bias is impossible to ignore,” he emphasized.

According to Brady, the impact of the decision went far beyond the scoreboard. A defensive touchdown could have completely reshaped the strategy and mentality of both teams. “Momentum decides playoff games. A play like that can force the Broncos to call a totally different game and allow the Patriots to control the tempo in a whole new way,” Brady explained on air.

Even though New England scored an offensive touchdown just two plays later, the anger among fans did not subside. Social media quickly filled with slow-motion replays and criticism, viewing the incident as yet another example of postseason officiating problems. Brady’s comments only amplified the story across the NFL.

Brady closed with a familiar but powerful message. “Players are evaluated snap by snap and held accountable for their mistakes. On the biggest stage, officials need to be held to that same standard,” he said. For the Patriots, the points could be recovered. For trust, it was not nearly that simple.