The Kansas City Chiefs are through to the AFC Championship Game once more after defeating the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round, but not without controversy. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was again the subject of “flopping” accusations after being awarded multiple questionable penalties during the game.
Chiefs Reach 7th Straight AFC Championship Game
The Chiefs entered the Divisional Round with Houston as nine-point favorites and were very quickly ahead thanks to a 63-yard kickoff return by Nikko Remigio. Kansas City would actually lose a yard on its opening three plays, but the special-teams play, coupled with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Texans, was enough to put them in field-goal range.
Placekicker Harrison Butker made it 3-0 Chiefs, and the hosts never looked back. Kansas City would lead from that point on as an endless series of penalties and sacks prevented Houston from mounting a comeback.
The Texans had more first downs, total yards, and time in possession than the Chiefs, but eight sacks and eight penalties combined for 140 lost yards.
The Chiefs produced some big plays of their own throughout the game, most notably this gravity-defying touchdown throw by Mahomes to give KC an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter.
But the Chiefs would arguably not have been that far down the field in the first place had it not been for a controversial unnecessary roughness call earlier in the drive — one of a number of favorable calls KC received.
This unnecessary roughness penalty on Mahomes was HORRIBLE 😩
Not only did Mahomes slide late, but the Texans defenders collided with EACH OTHER
— Kicks (@kicks) January 18, 2025
Patrick Mahomes Admits To Flopping
During a radio interview for “95.6 The Fan,” Mahomes addressed the roughing calls, saying: “I would say the only one I felt like I probably did too much was the one on the sideline where I didn’t get the flag,” Mahomes said. “The refs saw it, and it didn’t get a flag. I understood it immediately and know that I probably shouldn’t have done that.”
The play Mahomes was referring to has become somewhat of a trademark move for the Kansas City quarterback, as he headed out of bounds with the ball before slowing down to bait a tackle.
The move has infuriated NFL defenders in recent times, who claim it puts them in a lose-lose situation. If they hit Mahomes on the sideline, then they draw a flag. But if they don’t, he often takes advantage by sneaking extra yards.
It’s not just defensive players who disapprove of the play. Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman couldn’t hide his displeasure either, despite being live on air.
Aikman said of the play, “He’s trying to draw the penalty. You see instead of just going out of bounds, he slows down.”
Mahomes stopped short of giving his take on the individual refereeing decisions made against the Texans. The reigning Super Bowl champion instead acknowledged that there are always disagreements on certain calls and observed that the officials are doing their best.
“I’ve learned that no matter what happens during the game, something is going to come out about it if you win, if you continue to win,” Mahomes said.
“I don’t really pay attention to it. Obviously, I’ve been on both sides of it as far as how I’ve felt that calls were made. But at the end of the day, those guys are doing their best to make the best calls and keep it to where the players are making the plays in the game, and that’s what decides the outcome.
“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 decided the outcome of that football game.”
The Chiefs host the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game which will (fingers crossed) be less controversial.
