Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has heard complaints about officiating Saturday's playoff game against the Houston Texans.
The referees came under heavy criticism over the two penalties given to Houston for hits on Mahomes. Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was called for roughing the passer on third down in the first quarter.
Anderson appeared to push Mahomes in the chest after throwing an incomplete pass to tight end Travis Kelce. Anderson was flagged.
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The second penalty came during Mahomes' scramble in the third quarter. He had two blockers trying to run and three defenders holding him down. He moved to the right and then back to the left when he scored a slide.
After the game, Houston players and even head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested the referees' decision favored the Chiefs.
Mahomes addressed the fan backlash in an interview on 96.5 The Fan Tuesday.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs hits Azeez Al Shaair of the Houston Texans during the first quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoffs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on January 18, 2025. Tackled by (0). (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“I kind of learned that no matter what happens during the game, if we keep winning, something will happen, so I don't really care,” Mahomes said.
“I mean, obviously, I've been on both sides as far as I felt the call was made, but at the end of the day, they made the best call and they're doing their best to keep it that way. ” Go to where the player is playing in the game.
“And that's what decides the outcome. And obviously there were calls here and there that people disagreed with, but at the same time, I think there were a lot of other plays that really decided the outcome of that football game.” ”
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Patrick Mahomes, 15, of the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. was hit. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Referee Clay Martin explained the call to pool reporters after the game, saying the call on Anderson was the result of “forced contact to the face mask area” and deserved to be flagged. He said another unnecessary abusive call included forcible touching of Mahomes' “hairline.”
However, many fans also criticized Mahomes after he was briefly hit by a Texans defender and fell to the ground in the fourth quarter. Many fans accused the star quarterback of deliberately “failure” to draw an additional penalty, and ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman even criticized Mahomes for falling during the game.
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“He's trying to draw penalties. He's not just running over the line, he's slowing down. And that was frustrating. I understand that. That's what defensive players around the league do. “It was frustrating for us,” Eichman said. .
“I probably shouldn't have done that,” Mahomes said in an interview Tuesday.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes bites his mouthguard during warmups before a game against the Denver Broncos on November 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffman, File)
“I would say the only time I felt like I probably went too far was when I didn’t get a flag on the sideline and the umpire saw it and didn’t throw it. I know I shouldn't have done it,” Mahomes said.
“But at the same time, everyone is talking about where I went down, like I was trying to avoid getting smoked by a defensive lineman running in.
“So I'm just going to keep at it and try not to get hit because that's the smart way to stay in the football game.”
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked at ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals and interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz, and Roger Clemens.