Each week social media is filled with “armchair quarterbacks” who believe they are better officials than the zebra crew on the field. There are always complaints about missed calls and calls they believe show favourtism for one team or another; despite the fact that the officials are going by the rule book.
Two time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes addressed the issue and he doesn’t see it as the officials giving his team the advantage.
And just for the record…the stats back him up.
In the Chiefs pre-AFC title game media day Mahomes said, “I don’t fee that way. I just try to play football at the end of the day. The referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and proper as best they can. For me, it’s go out there, play hard, try to do whatever I can to win the football game, and then live with the results based on my effort and how I play the game, and that’s what we preach here in Kansas City.”
The numbers back up Mahomes…over the past three seasons – including the playoffs – officials have penalized the Chiefs 147 more yards than their opponents.
In addition, since 2018 (Mahomes first year in KC) opponents have earned 20 more first downs after a penalty on a third or fourth down play.
The Chiefs rank seventh when it comes to penalties in fourth quarter or overtime play when separated by one score.
Last Saturday, after the Houston Texans took the field at Arrowhead Stadium where they lost the game 23-14, Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr said, “we knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game.”
While there were some apparent controversial calls, one topped the list when Mahomes scrambled to his left heading toward out of bounds when he apparently “flopped” when he was touched by Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o. The officials did not draw a flag for the move but drew serious criticism from broadcaster former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman who said, “he’s trying to draw the penalty. Rather than just run out of bounds, he slows down. That’s been the frustration, and I get it. I understand it. That’s been the frustration for these defensive players around the league.” Aikman was also adamant about officials reviewing the move in the off-season and possibly adding a penalty for “last minute flops and slides in an attempt to draw a penalty flag.
The Chiefs will be facing the Buffalo Bills on Sunday for the AFC Championship and the opportunity to battle for a third Super Bowl championship. Further addressing the officials issue Mahomes said, “you get new referees every year. You get new circumstances and you never can really tell because every play is different, and that’s what makes the NFL so special. I feel like I just continue to play the game. I just try to win.”