Officials in the Kansas City Chiefs AFC divisional round win over the Houston Texans on Saturday night came under scrutiny over questionable calls throughout the game.
From ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman to Texans players after the game to social media, officials were getting lit up from all angles.
There were two penalties called on the Texans that drew ire.
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Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tries to avoid Houston Texans defensive ends Will Anderson Jr., left, and Denico Autry during the AFC divisional playoff game Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was called for roughing the passer on a third down in the first quarter. Anderson appeared to push Mahomes in the chest after he had thrown the ball incomplete to tight end Travis Kelce. Anderson was flagged.
The second penalty came during a Mahomes scramble in the third quarter. He had two blockers on a run and three defenders bearing down on him. He moved to his right and then back to his left when he decided to slide.
Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o hit Mahomes around the neck as he slid. Despite the bang-bang nature of the play, To’oTo’o was called for unnecessary roughness.
The first penalty extended the drive and it ended with a field goal. The second penalty pushed Kansas City up the field and the drive ended with a touchdown.
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The Chiefs won the game, 23-14.
Aikman ripped the penalty on To’oTo’o.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes warms up before the AFC divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas City.. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
“Oh, come on,” the Dallas Cowboys great said. “I mean, he’s a runner. I could not disagree with that one more He barely gets hit. That’s the second penalty now that’s been called against the Texans.…
“They’ve gotta address it in the offseason. You can’t, as a quarterback, run around and play games with defenders and then be able to draw a penalty.”
He was not the only one who thought the officials made a mistake.
Texans personnel spoke out about it after the game as well.
“We knew going into this game it was us versus everybody,” Houton head coach DeMeco Ryans said, via KPRC-TV. “When I say everybody, it’s everybody. All of the whatever… The naysayers, the doubt right. Everybody we had to go against today. Knowing that going into this game, knowing what we were up against, we can’t make the mistakes that we made.”
Anderson said the team knew it was going to be “us versus the refs.”
Texans running back Joe Mixon was also peeved.
“Everybody know how it is, playing up here, you can never leave it into the refs’ hands,” Mixon said. “But I mean the whole world see what it is, bro. It is what it is.”
Houston Texans long snapper Jon Weeks sits on the bench during the AFC divisional round game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Head referee Clay Martin explained the calls to a pool reporter after the game.
He said the call on Anderson was a result from “forcible contact to the face mask area,” which warranted the penalty flag. He said there was forcible contact to Mahomes’ “hairline” on the other unnecessary roughness call.
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The Chiefs were able to keep Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud at bay the entire game. The Chiefs sacked Stroud eight times, including three from George Karlaftis.
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