Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs faced a lot of backlash from the media and fans after they benefited from some questionable calls in the Divisional Round game against the Houston Texans.
One of the calls that went in favor of Mahomes was when the star quarterback slid and two Texans defenders struck each other while trying to stop him. It was a 50-50 call, but the refs ruled it in favor of the Chiefs, which caused a ton of uproar. The NFL has now made a big decision to address such situations for next season.
Fans React to NFL’s Decision To Help Refs
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL’s replay assist is expected to expand next season, and it will also help in making the decision on quarterback slides.
So far, the replay assist has only been used to spot the ball, determining whether the catch is completed or not, players stepping out of bounds, and for clear fouls.
Fans on social media are happy to see the league taking this decision, as they believe it will help in not letting quarterbacks take advantage as they have done so far.
Still not 100% on board with the Mahomes/refs narrative but this is a great move from the NFL https://t.co/iiLvcrFbhc
— 🦀Mandrill🦀 (@Ingested_Sand) January 25, 2025
“Good. These refs are so inconsistent, and it ruins the games sometimes,” said a fan.
One fan added, “This better also go for flopping (Josh Allen).”
No more personal apologies to Josh??? pic.twitter.com/rpmXWs3fZ0
— Rider Harris (@riderjharris) January 26, 2025
“About time. It’s not just him, QBs been abusing that slide rule,” wrote a fan.
“The league needs this. Fans are fed up watching a QB-centric league,” said another fan.
Yes they should. Also need to do something about the fake slide and the fake going out of bounds for qbs. It puts the defenders in an impossible spot
— Darthdisney (@Darthdisney1977) January 25, 2025
Over the years, the NFL has made multiple rule changes, which have usually benefited the offensive players. As a result, defensive players have had tackling issues and are often penalized for marginal contact with quarterbacks, as was seen in the Texans vs. Chiefs game.
Fans don’t want the sport to be heavily favored for the offense, as they like to watch players from both sides of the ball giving their full effort without being at a disadvantage. Hopefully, the NFL will finally provide some relief to the defensive players with rule changes after the ongoing season.
Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen Have Been Criticized for Treatment From Refs
Buffalo Bills Josh Allen and Mahomes will face each other in the AFC Championship Game for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. They are among the best quarterbacks in the league but have faced a lot of criticism from fans on social media for how the refs have treated them.
Since Allen and Mahomes are two of the biggest names in the NFL, fans often think the referees help them during games and give calls in their favor. The Chiefs quarterback is often called out for trying to initiate contact from defensive players while tip-toeing on the sidelines. Allen, meanwhile, has been criticized for his flopping attempts, which have usually gone viral on social media platforms.
With the league moving towards more usage of video assistant replay, such narratives may be easy to diminish. The AFC Championship Game will quite possibly have the highest number of viewers so far this season, and hopefully, fans will be treated with a well-officiated game in the process.
Mahomes is 3-0 against Allen in the playoffs, and the upcoming game is huge for the Bills quarterback’s legacy. It will be interesting to see whether he can finally take his team over the hump to make his first Super Bowl or if the Chiefs will continue their quest of three-peating.