The Chiefs’ quest for a third straight Super Bowl continues with a 23-14 victory over the Texans. Hats off to them, but let’s be honest. Their rivals not only had to fight against a dynasty dressed in red, but also against those who wear the zebra sweaters.
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I am the first, at times, to slap my thighs and giggle while watching everything that is said and written about refereeing during Chiefs matches. It’s often crazy to the point where it’s better to laugh about it than to cry about it.
In this second-round NFL playoff game, however, there were some downright embarrassing moments, which really tarnished the game.
In the first quarter, the Texans appeared to have ended a Chiefs offensive streak, but officials ruled Will Anderson Jr. hit quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the head. This was clearly not the case and the Chiefs took advantage of this first free game to then score three points.
By the third quarter, the Chiefs were clinging to a slim 13-12 lead. On an aborted play, Mahomes slid to the ground and two Texans players, Henry To’oTo’o and Folorunso Fatukasi, attempted to tackle him. The referee awarded a penalty for unnecessary roughness, but it was the two teammates who collided without ever hitting Mahomes in the head.
Nine plays later, Travis Kelce scored a touchdown on a pass from Mahomes. Who knows what would have happened without this penalty?
Sad situation
Are these questionable decisions solely responsible for the Chiefs’ victory? No, definitely not! Still, they certainly helped their cause. And in the minds of many football fans, it is a sad situation that repeats itself.
These same fans also deplored, not so long ago, the preferential treatment from referees that Tom Brady would have benefited from. Obviously everything is never that simple. Yes, big-name quarterbacks are sometimes overprotected and that’s a problem.
Even analyst (and former star quarterback himself) Troy Aikman, usually stoic, was outraged upon seeing the two sequences.
“Ah, let’s see, he’s a runner on this play! The two Houston players make contact. This is not a penalty. The league must tackle this problem in the off-season,” he protested.
Aikman certainly has a point. The NFL absolutely needs to allow a video replay of such embarrassing decisions. Currently, the show is suffering and conspiracy theories are being fueled everywhere.
The Chiefs are a great team, without the help of the officials. When their quarterback flashes yellow handkerchiefs as soon as an opponent moves his curly hair, it becomes impossible to face them. And even the most ardent Chiefs fans probably don’t like it.
Great Spags!
All that being said, the Chiefs are heading to the Conference Finals for the seventh straight year. If you like to think that it is only thanks to the referees, it is better to leave yourself in your imaginary world.
-It’s not the referees’ fault that Travis Kelce was more often than not free as air frolicking in the meadows, finishing the game with seven receptions for 117 yards.
It’s also not the referees’ fault that the Texans’ offense never found a way to break through the Chiefs’ defense, especially in the fourth quarter, when the game was on the line.
Experienced defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo put the Texans in his pocket with a blitz and the Chiefs made quarterback CJ Stroud suffer with eight sacks at his expense.
And it’s not the referees’ fault either if reality finally caught up with the Texans. Deprived of their receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell, they provided a valiant effort, but Nico Collins (5 receptions for 81 yards) cannot do everything alone.
The Texans still performed better offensively with 336 yards compared to only 212 for the Chiefs. It was the worst offensive performance for the Chiefs in this regard in a game where Patrick Mahomes is the starting quarterback, since 2018.
In the end, however, the Texans were slowed down twice in three appearances in the paying zone, leaving important points on the field. They are now 0-6 in their history in the second round of the playoffs.
In short, it wasn’t really, but then, really not chic, arbitration. The league has looked very bad and we will have to stop playing our heads in the sand. It seems bad without common sense!
But the truth is, the Chiefs aren’t one step away from the Super Bowl simply because the league loves them.
THE STARS OF THE DAY
Travis Kelce
The Chiefs tight end crossed the 2,000 career yardage mark in the playoffs, a feat that only a certain Jerry Rice achieved before him. He also reached the plateau of 20 touchdowns, two short of Rice’s record.
George Karlaftis
Karlaftis had a monster game at defensive end with five tackles and three sacks. He led the charge for a defense that hit CJ Stroud 14 times.
Will Anderson Jr.
In the defeat, young Will Anderson Jr was sensational with two sacks and four tackles, including three for losses.
