The Kansas City Chiefs likely would have secured a seventh appearance in the AFC title game without having to rely on officiating.
That doesn’t mean they weren’t given a bit of help from the zebras for a few plays.
NFL fans were furious about two calls that went against the Houston Texans defense on Saturday during the Chiefs’ 23-14 win in an AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. Both penalties led to scoring drives for Kansas City, including the ultimate game-sealing 11-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce.
Henry To’oTo’o was called for a penalty after this hit on Patrick Mahomes. #HOUvsKC | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/w4E4cSI3FF
— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2025
During the third quarter on third down, defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was flagged roughing the passer against Mahomes because he supposedly leaned with the crown of his helmet. The hit made contact with Mahomes’ facemask and chest, thus tacking on 15 yards.
“We knew it was going to be us against the refs going into this game,” Anderson told reporters postgame. “I was just telling them like man, we gotta go out there and do much better. In some instances we didn’t do that, in some instances we did.”
When asked by a pool reporter following the game why the call stood, referee Clay Martin said the evidence was clear to throw the flag.
Referee Clay Martin told pool reporter @AaronWilson_NFL of the second penalized hit on #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes today: “(W)hen he slides, he is considered defenseless. The onus is on the defender. I had forcible contact there to the hairline, to the helmet.” pic.twitter.com/jI9INmhhWJ
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 19, 2025
The second penalty was even more costly. Trailing by one, Mahomes left the pocket and scrambled for a few yards before sliding to stop the play. As he hit the ground, linebacker Henry To’oTo’o and defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi tried to make the tackle but instead collided with each other before grazing the quarterback.
Martin said there was enough evidence for a late hit against a defenseless player call, thus leading to 15 more yards and a first down.
“I had forcible contact there to the hairline, to the helmet,” Martin said.
Neither call provided clear evidence, as Martin claimed, which made the penalties that much more frustrating.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans vented his frustrations postgame on the two hits, though also said the self-inflicted mistakes played a significant factor in Houston’s ultimate demise.
“We knew going into this game, it was us vs. everybody,” said Ryans.”When I say everybody, it’s everybody. All the naysayers, the doubt, everybody we had to go against today. Knowing going into this game what we were up against, we can’t make the mistakes that we made.”
Mahomes, who moved to 7-0 in the divisional round, secured a win at home. That part is far. Houston managed to win nearly every category and still lost by nine.
That part is fact.
Will Anderson: “We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game.” pic.twitter.com/FReVbYspl5
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 19, 2025
Those two penalties weren’t the deciding plays of the game, but they factored into two scoring drives. They also sparked life into Kanas City’s offense at ill-advised times.
Anderson told reporters to go back and watch the game. Kansas City didn’t win, but rather Houston lost in his eyes.
“It was nothing they did. It was all us,” Anderson said. “Busted alignments, out of place, we can’t have that if we want to beat teams like this. Granted, they are a good team, don’t get me wrong, but I felt like we were the better team, but we shot ourselves in the foot again.”
