Patrick Mahomes recently addressed the controversy surrounding the official calls in the Kansas City Chiefs’ divisional round match against the Houston Texans. After the game, some people raised concerns about the calls made during the match, which they felt benefited the Chiefs. As the team shifts its focus to the AFC Championship, Mahomes spoke out on the issue.
Here is what Mahomes said.
Patrick Mahomes ‘Rigged’ controversy explained
Patrick Mahomes has addressed the recent controversy surrounding official calls that some believe have favored the Kansas City Chiefs. The claims came after the Chiefs’ 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans in the divisional round, where two penalty calls extended key drives for Kansas City, including one on third down that led to a touchdown.
Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was vocal after the 23-14 loss, claiming, “We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game.” However, Mahomes rejected the idea that official calls played a significant role in the outcome. During a press conference ahead of the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills, Mahomes said, “I don’t feel that way. At the end of the day, the referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they possibly can. And all you can do is go out there and play the game that you love as hard as you can and live with the results.” (via ESPN)
The quarterback also pointed out that the unpredictable nature of the NFL, with new referees each year and different circumstances for every game, makes it difficult to know how calls will go. Mahomes added, “Every play’s different and that’s what makes the NFL so special.”
Despite the controversy, Mahomes is focused on the upcoming AFC Championship clash with the Buffalo Bills, which marks the latest chapter in an intense rivalry. The Chiefs have beaten the Bills in the playoffs the past few years. However, Buffalo has dominated the regular season matchups, including a 30-21 win over Kansas City in Week 11.
