Do The Chiefs Really Get Officiating Help In The Playoffs?
It's become one of the most important questions in the National Football League in 2025: Do the Kansas City Chiefs actually receive favorable officiating during the playoffs?
Few non-Chiefs fans watched the Houston Texans-Chiefs game in the divisional round and thought otherwise. Several key calls went against the Texans, including two extremely questionable decisions benefiting quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Texans players after the game complained about the officiating, fans rushed to social media to claim it was pro-Chiefs bias, and even broadcaster Troy Aikman said he disagreed with it in real time.
So how real are these concerns? Do the Chiefs really benefit more than their opponents in the postseason?
According to a new analysis, the answer is yes. And in several important ways.
Do the Kansas City Chiefs benefit from officiating during the postseason? (Credit: USA Today Sports Network)
Kansas City Chiefs Get Fewer Penalties Than Opponents In The Playoffs
Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis combed through the numbers on penalty calls for and against the Chiefs in the past few seasons, and sure enough, they have had fewer calls go against them, or the same number as their opponents, in every single playoff game.
Not most of their games, every single one.
Since 2021, the Chiefs have played 11 postseason games, and according to Sharp, in 10 of the 11, Chiefs opponents have been called for more penalties. Interestingly though, that trend doesn't hold up in the regular season. In fact, since 2021, more often than not, the Chiefs have more penalty yards than their opponents in regular season games.
The playoffs though? Complete different story.
In those 11 games, Kansas City is 10-1, and they've been called for just 36 penalties, or 3.2 per game. Their opponents have been called for 66 penalties, or six per game. It's resulted in nearly 225 yards of benefit for Kansas City in 11 games, a substantial difference.
But it's not just the volume, it's the type of penalties that matter too. And the Chiefs have benefited there as well.
Per Sharp's analysis, there have been:
- 3 total Defensive Pass Interference or Defensive Holding called on the Chiefs.
- 11 total Defensive Pass Interference or Defensive Holding called on their opponents.
And the most interesting category, roughing the passer, has been even more lopsided:
- 1 total Roughing the Passer called on the Chiefs.
- 7 total Roughing the Passer called on their opponents.
Similarly with unnecessary roughness:
- 1 total Unnecessary Roughness called on the Chiefs.
- 4 total Unnecessary Roughness called on their opponent.
What can we take away from this disparity? Is it evidence of some grand NFL conspiracy?
Almost certainly not. But, it does indicate that the Chiefs, particularly Mahomes, have perfected the art of manipulating the rules to get beneficial calls.
For example, Mahomes is well known for scrambling towards the out-of-bounds barrier as defenders watch to avoid contact, then cutting back inside towards the middle of the field and sliding as other defensive players then rush to make a tackle. And because the margins are so thin and timing is so short, it's easy to create "late" contact that draws a flag. That's how you draw a roughing the passer penalty in the playoffs seven times in 11 games.
All told, those penalties have given the Chiefs 18.84 Expected Points Added, per Sharp's analysis.
The other factor here is that the Chiefs are almost always hosting playoff games. Officials are humans, and some of the home field advantage is referees giving calls to the home team.
It doesn't take a conspiracy to give Kansas City the benefit of the doubt, but they sure are getting it.