Patrick Mahomes Denies Favoritism From Refs Because Of Course He Does

Every Kansas City Chiefs' game seems to include some questionable calls from referees that favor the defending Super Bowl champions. But according to Patrick Mahomes, it's all in your head.

Referees received especially harsh criticism over two plays during the Chiefs' Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans on Saturday. First, Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was called for roughing the passer on a third down in the first quarter. 

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. The QB moved to his right and then back to his left when he decided to slide at the very last second.

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Not only did the announcers rip the calls during the broadcast, but, after the game, Texans players and even head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested the referees had rewarded the Chiefs with some generous whistles.

But during an interview with 96.5 The Fan this week, Mahomes dismissed the idea that he receives preferential treatment.

"I‘ve kind of learned that no matter what happens during the game, that something’s going to come out about it if you win and you continue to win, so I don’t really pay attention to it," the Chiefs QB said. "I mean, obviously I’ve been on both sides of it as far as how I felt the calls were made, but at the end of the day, man, 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. And obviously there was a call here or there that people didn’t agree with, but at the same time, I think there was a lot of other plays that really decided the outcome of that football game."

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Of course, this is exactly the sort of thing you'd expect Mahomes to say. But it doesn't change the fact that there's an officiating problem in the NFL — whether real or perceived. 

And after all the discourse this week, you can bet that during Sunday's AFC Championship game, all eyes will be on the referees.