Sunday’s Referee Is Just What Chiefs Prefer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Alan Eck was a quarterback at Bloomsburg, the same school that produced former Detroit Pistons head coach Chuck Daly.

And while Eck won’t allow teams to get away with over-the-top tactics the Bad Boy Pistons used on their way to consecutive NBA titles in the late 1980s, the referee also won’t do something else.

He won’t call ticky-tack fouls. That’s the third-year official’s reputation as he and his crew prepare to oversee the critical Sunday Night Football (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC/KSHB-TV, Channel 41, 96.5 The Fan) matchup between the Texans (7-5) and Chiefs (6-6).

Consistently among fewest penalties

In each of his three seasons (2023-25), Eck’s crew has consistently ranked among officials who throw the fewest flags in the NFL.

alan ec — Aug 17, 2019; Honolulu, HI, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay (right) hands the red challenge flag to umpire referee Alan Eck (76) in the second half against the Dallas Cowboysat Aloha Stadium.The Cowboys defeated the Rams 14-10. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This year, Eck’s crew averages only 14.36 overall flags per game. Only three other crews keep the laundry in their pockets more often. Last year, Eck’s crew had the third-fewest (13.38) and the year prior, in 2023, he was the Rookie Referee of the Year in the Chiefs’ eyes, when his crew called the second-fewest penalties in the league (11.93).

Eck, who looks angry every time he announces a penalty, won’t allow teams to get away with blatant offensive holding or defensive pass interference – two of his crew’s most common fouls.

trent mcduffie, george picken — Nov 27, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) forces a fumble from Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

However, according to NFLPenalties.com, his crew averages only 1.27 DPI flags per game. Compare that to last week, when officials hit Trent McDuffie for three such calls in the second half alone. In a 31-28 loss to the Cowboys, that crew also flagged Jaylen Watson for two DPIs, and Xavier Worthy for a controversial offensive pass interference – all momentum-turning calls.

According to OptaStats, the Chiefs became the first NFL team in at least 35 seasons with as many as five combined pass interference penalties in a single second half. Of the six total pass-interference penalties in the game, Dallas received one – an OPI on Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson.

Eck’s crew hasn’t called a single offensive pass interference all year.

patrick mahomes, c.j. strou — Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) meets with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) after a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

History with each team

The last time Eck’s group had a Chiefs game was the 2024 rematch of Super Bowl 58, Kansas City’s 28-18 victory at San Francisco in Week 7 last season. In that game, the crew assessed just 10 penalties, six against the 49ers and four against the Chiefs.

The only other Chiefs game Eck has worked as an NFL referee was the Taylor Swift game, Kansas City’s 41-10 victory over Chicago in Week 3 two years ago. The crew called only nine flags.

Last week, the Chiefs alone received 10 of the game’s 17 calls.

Eck’s group last worked a Texans game on Christmas Day 2024, Houston’s 31-2 loss to Baltimore.

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