Officiating assignments shouldn't affect playoff games, but it's 2025 and Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are in the AFC Championship Game, so here we are.
Fresh off a divisional round game against Houston, where the Chiefs benefited from a highly controversial 3 call, the defending Super Bowl champions hosted the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. welcome. Clete Blakeman will be the referee.
If you believe NFL referees are on the Chiefs' side (and if they're not, why wouldn't they be?), this assignment might give you some optimism.
Blakeman's team called the most penalties of any officiating team in the NFL, averaging 15.8 per game. But it remains to be seen whether large-scale flag-throwing will continue, as Blakeman will not receive support from his usual team of officials.
Why should a conspiracy theorist hosting the NFL be optimistic?
As CBS Sports report:
Blakeman last officiated a Chiefs game back in 2023 on Christmas Day. Raiders They had a shocking 20-14 victory over Kansas City. It's interesting that the NFL appointed a referee who has struggled to help the Chiefs win when fans complained that the Chiefs were benefiting from unfair calls. Since then patrick mahomes After taking over as starting quarterback in Kansas City, the Chiefs went 5-6 with Blakeman.
Blakeman was the referee for two of the worst losses of Mahomes' career. First, Kansas City lost 54-51 to Mahomes. rams Back in 2018. During that year's postseason, Blakeman was the referee for New England's 37-31 overtime victory over the Chiefs in the AFC title game.
Including the playoffs, Mahomes has only lost 26 games in his career, six of which were refereed by Blakeman.
Is Blakeman's assignment an attempt by the league to counter the narrative that the NFL favors the Chiefs? That may have been the intention. However, that plan will fail if Blakeman and his crew throw unnecessary and controversial flags that benefit Kansas City.
