Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes heard the complaints concerning the officiating in Saturday’s playoff recreation towards the Houston Texans.
Referees had been the topic of harsh criticism over two penalties assessed to Houston for hits on Mahomes. Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was referred to as for roughing the passer on a 3rd down within the first quarter.
Anderson appeared to push Mahomes within the chest after he had thrown an incomplete cross to tight finish Travis Kelce. Anderson was flagged.
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The second penalty got here throughout a Mahomes scramble within the third quarter. He had two blockers on a run and three defenders bearing down on him. He moved to his proper after which again to his left when he determined to slip.
After the sport, Houston gamers and even head coach DeMeco Ryans recommended the referees favored the Chiefs with calls.
Mahomes addressed the fan backlash throughout an interview on 96.5 The Fan Tuesday.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs is tackled by Azeez Al-Shaair (0) of the Houston Texans through the first quarter of an AFC divisional playoff at GEHA Subject at Arrowhead Stadium Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas Metropolis, Mo. (Jamie Squire/Getty Photos)
“I‘ve sort of discovered that it doesn’t matter what occurs through the recreation that one thing’s going to come back out about it in the event you win and also you proceed to win. So, I don’t actually take note of it,” Mahomes mentioned.
“I imply, clearly, I’ve been on each side of it so far as how I felt the calls had been made, however, on the finish of the day, man, these guys are doing their finest to make the most effective calls and hold it to the place the gamers are making the performs within the recreation.
“And that’s what decides the result. And clearly there was a name right here or there that individuals didn’t agree with, however, on the similar time, I believe there was a variety of different performs that actually determined the result of that soccer recreation.”
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Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs is hit throughout an AFC divisional playoff recreation towards the Houston Texans at GEHA Subject at Arrowhead Stadium Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas Metropolis, Mo. (Perry Knotts/Getty Photos)
Head referee Clay Martin defined the calls to a pool reporter after the sport, saying the decision on Anderson was a results of “forcible contact to the face masks space,” which warranted a flag. He mentioned there was forcible contact to Mahomes’ “hairline” on the opposite pointless roughness name.
However many followers additionally directed criticism at Mahomes after he fell to the bottom after being frivolously hit by Texans defenders within the fourth quarter. Many followers accused the star quarterback of “flopping” deliberately in an effort to attract one other penalty, and ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman even criticized Mahomes for the autumn through the recreation.
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“He’s making an attempt to attract the penalty. Slightly than simply run out of bounds, he slows down. And that’s been the frustration, and I get it. I perceive it. That’s been the frustration for these defensive gamers across the league,” Aikman mentioned.
Throughout Mahomes’ interview Tuesday, he mentioned he “most likely should not have accomplished that.”
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chews his mouth guard throughout warmups earlier than a recreation towards the Denver Broncos Nov. 10, 2024, in Kansas Metropolis, Mo. (AP Photograph/Reed Hoffmann, File)
“I’d say that the one one I felt like I most likely did an excessive amount of was the one on the sideline the place I didn’t get a flag, and the ref noticed it and didn’t throw a flag. And I understood it instantly and know that I most likely shouldn’t have accomplished that,” Mahomes mentioned.
“However, on the similar time, the one that everyone’s speaking about the place I fell down, it’s like I used to be simply making an attempt to get out of the way in which of getting smoked by the defensive lineman working in.
“So, I’ll attempt to hold doing that and never take these hits as a result of that’s the sensible solution to keep within the soccer recreation.”
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