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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes heard complaints about officiating in Saturday’s playoff game against the Houston Texans.
The referees were the subject of harsh criticism for the two penalties awarded to Houston for hitting Mahomes. Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. he was called for roughing the passer after a third down in the first quarter.
Anderson appeared to shove Mahomes in the chest after throwing an incomplete pass to tight end Travis Kelce. Anderson is tagged in.
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The second penalty came during a Mahomes scramble in the third quarter. He had two run blockers and three defenders attacking him. He moved to the right and then back to the left when he decided to slide.
After the game, Houston players and even head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested the refs favored the Chiefs with the calls.
Mahomes addressed the fan reaction during an interview on 96.5 The Fan Tuesday.
Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes is tackled by Houston Texans’ Azeez Al-Shaair (0) during the first quarter of an AFC divisional playoff game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“I’ve kind of learned that no matter what happens during the game, if you win and keep winning, something will come out. So I don’t pay attention to that,” Mahomes said.
“I mean, obviously, I’ve been on both sides of how I thought the calls were made, but, at the end of the day, man, those guys are doing their best to make the best calls and keep where the players are playing in the game.
“And that’s what decides the outcome. And obviously there was a call here or there that people didn’t agree 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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Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes (15) is hit during an AFC divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Referee Clay Martin explained the calls to a pool reporter after the game, saying the call on Anderson was the result of “forceful contact with the facemask area,” which warranted the tag. He said there was forced contact with Mahomes’ “top” on another unnecessary roughness.
But many fans also directed criticism at Mahomes after he fell to the ground after being lightly tackled by Texans defensive players in the fourth quarter. Many fans accused the star quarterback of going down on purpose in an attempt to draw another penalty, and ESPN anchor Troy Aikman even criticized Mahomes for going down during the game.
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“He’s trying to take a penalty. Instead of just running out of bounds, he’s slowing down. And that was the frustration, and I get that. I understand that. That was the frustration of these defensive players around the league,” Aikman said.
During Mahomes’ interview on Tuesday, he said he “probably shouldn’t have done it.”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chews on his mouth guard during warmups before the game against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, file)
“I would say the only one I felt I probably did too much was the one on the sideline where I didn’t get a flag and the referee saw it and didn’t throw the flag. And I realized that right away and I know I probably shouldn’t have done that,” Mahomes said.
“But at the same time, the one that everybody talks about where I went down, it’s like I was just trying to get out of the way to not get burned by a running back.
“So I’m going to try to keep going and not take those shots because that’s a smart way to stay in the football game.”
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