Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes heard it the complaints about the referee in Saturday’s playoff game against the Houston Texans.
Referees received harsh criticism over two penalties imposed to Houston for hits on Mahomes. Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was called for giving the passer a third down in the first quarter.
Anderson appeared to shove Mahomes in the chest after throwing an incomplete pass to Travis Kelce. Anderson was flagged.
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The second penalty came during a Mahomes scramble in the third quarter. He had two blockers on the move and three defenders coming at him. He moved to the right and then to the left again when he decided to slide.
After the game, Houston players and even head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested the referees favored the Chiefs with calls.
Mahomes spoke about fan reactions during an interview on 96.5 The Fan Tuesday.
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs is tackled by Azeez Al-Shaair (0) of the Houston Texans during the first quarter of an AFC divisional playoff at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas City , Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“I’ve kind of learned that no matter what happens during the game, if you win and keep winning, something is going to come out of it. So I don’t really pay attention to it,” Mahomes said.
“I mean, obviously I’ve been on both sides of the way I felt the calls were made, but at the end of the day, man, those guys do their best to make the best calls and stay .” it to where the players perform the actions in the game.
And that is what determines the outcome. And obviously there was a call here and there that people didn’t agree with, but at the same time I think there were a lot of other plays that really determined the outcome of that football game. .”
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Patrick Mahomes (15) of the Kansas City Chiefs 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, Missouri. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Head referee Clay Martin explained the calls to a pool reporter after the match, saying the call on Anderson was the result of “forcible contact with the face mask area,” which warranted a flag. He said there was forced contact with Mahomes’ “hairline” on the other unnecessary roughness call.
But many fans also directed criticism at Mahomes after he fell to the ground after being lightly hit by Texans defenders in the fourth quarter. Many fans accused the star quarterback of deliberately “flopping” in an attempt to get another penalty, and ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman even criticized Mahomes for the fall during the game.
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“He’s trying to draw the penalty. Instead of just walking out of bounds, he’s slowing down. And that’s been the frustration, and I understand it. I understand it. That’s been the frustration for these defensive players in the competition,” Aikman said. .
During Mahomes’ interview Tuesday, he said he “probably shouldn’t have done that.”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chews on his mouthguard during warmups before a game against the Denver Broncos on November 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, file)
“I would say the only one where I felt like 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 a flag. And I understood immediately and I know I probably shouldn’t have done that,” Mahomes said.
“But at the same time, what everyone talks about, where I fell, it’s like I was just trying to get out of the way of getting smoked by the defensive lineman who was running in.
“So I’ll try to keep doing that and not take those goals because that’s the smart way to stay in the game of football.”
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