KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes doesn’t believe NFL officials are doing the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback any favors.
Nor do the statistics support this hypothesis.
In last week’s divisional round win over Houston, Texas was penalized twice. for a hit on Mahomes, and one of them came on third down to extend a drive that ended in points. And that led many fans — to say nothing of some members of the Texans defense — to believe that league officials were clearly backing one of its biggest stars.
“I don’t think so” Mahomes said Wednesday In his first media availability before Sunday’s AFC title game against Buffalo, where the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs will try to get a chance at a three-peat.
“I just try to play football at the end of the day. Mahomes said the referees are doing their best to make the game fair and proper. “For me, it’s going out there, playing hard, playing football. Trying to do whatever I can to win, and then living with the results based on my effort and how I play the game, and that’s what we preach here in Kansas City. “
While it may seem like one of the NFL’s most visible franchises gets more than its share of calls, in reality the Chiefs have been penalized 147 yards more than their opponents over the past three seasons, including punts. off
And lest some think the Chiefs have an advantage in the moments that matter most, opponents have gained 20 more first downs through penalties on third or fourth down since 2018, which is what they are. There is a time when Mahomes became a starter. In games decided by a score in the fourth quarter or overtime, the Chiefs have the seventh-worst penalty differential over the same span.
Still, the narrative that officials are helping the Chiefs win seems to have reached the Houston locker room before the Texans arrived at Arrowhead Stadium last Saturday, where they lost 23-14 in the divisional round of the playoffs. lost to
“We knew it was going to be a contest with the referees going into the game,” Texas defensive end Will Anderson Jr. said afterward.
Then again, Mahomes didn’t gain any latitude among fans as he flopped trying to draw another flag. It came as he scrambled to his left and went out of bounds, and when touched by Houston linebacker Henry Tutu, the two-time NFL MVP dramatically threw himself to the ground — but he failed to fool the authorities, who retained it. Their flags in their pockets.
That certainly drew the ire of former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman, who was calling the game for ESPN.
“He’s trying to draw a penalty. Instead of just running out of bounds, he slows down,” Ekman said. “It’s been frustrating, and I get it. I get it. It’s frustrating for these defensive players around the league.
Mahomes didn’t seem fazed by the sudden national conversation about the fine and the flop when he spoke to the media on Wednesday. Instead, he methodically answered questions about them and then turned his attention to the bills.
“You get new referees every year. You get new situations,” Mahomes said, “and you can never really tell because every play is different, and that’s what makes the NFL so special. I think It’s like I just keep playing the game. I just try to win.”
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AP Pro Football writer Josh Dubo contributed to this report.
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