Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. called it “us against the refs” in a 23–14 divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 18, but Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who took three sacks in that game, won’t accept the referee narrative as valid.
The Texans (10–7) took eight penalties for 82 yards while the Chiefs had four penalties for 29 yards. Contrary to the narrative popularized in social media, the Chiefs don’t always have the edge for penalties.
Kansas City (15–2) faces a Buffalo Bills team (13–4) next in the AFC Championship Game where penalties didn’t go in the Chiefs’ favor during their regular season matchup in November. The Chiefs had six penalties for 57 yards, and the Bills had only three penalties for 24 yards in a 30–21 victory at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Mahomes noted there’s variables at play with refereeing throughout any given season.
“You get new referees every year, you get new circumstances, and you never can really tell because every play’s different and that’s what makes the NFL so special,” Mahomes said. “I feel like I’ve just continued to play the game, and I just try to win, and whatever happens kind of happens.”
Mahomes and company will look to avenge the regular season loss to the Bills on Sunday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, but it won’t come easy. The last two playoff meetings have been one-score games in 2022 and 2023.
“It’s just two really good football teams going up against each other,'' Mahomes said. ”They have great players at every level on both sides of the ball and they’re well coached. And so, when you play great football teams like that, it kind of usually ends with that split type of deal there.”
“We’ve been able to beat them in the playoffs and they’ve got us in the regular season,” Mahomes added. “If you look at the games, every game’s close, so it just comes out to a play here or there that makes an impact on the outcome.”
Kansas City has won the last three postseason meetings since 2021, but Bills have won the past four regular season games. Only two of those games have been determined by more than 10 points.
“When you look at the great rivalries of the NFL, it comes with this,” Mahomes said. “It comes with playing each other every year in the regular season, and it comes with playing in the playoffs.'’
Part of it is the quarterback rivalry, too. Buffalo also has a superstar quarterback in Josh Allen, an MVP candidate. Allen has a 63.6 percent completion rate for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns versus six interceptions this season. Mahomes has a 67.5 percent completion rate for 3,928 yards and 26 touchdowns versus 11 picks. Sunday will mark their ninth game against each other whether regular season or postseason.
“I’ve played against Josh enough times to know that he’s going to come out there and play great football, especially in those big moments,'' Mahomes said. ”I have to play my best football whenever I get the opportunity to and try to put our team in the best position to succeed.”
“If that’s limiting turnovers, if that’s changing the field position, whatever that is, you have to find a way that day to win,” he added.
