The Houston Texans didn’t mince any phrases following their divisional spherical playoff exit on Saturday. In Houston’s eyes, the officers performed a major position of their 23-14 loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
“We knew going into this recreation that it was ‘Us vs. All people,‘“ stated Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans after the competition. “And after I say everyone — it’s everyone.”
“We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this recreation,” added defensive finish Will Anderson Jr.
The Texans, who had entered the sport as 8.5-point underdogs, went toe-to-toe with the two-time reigning world champions early. Regardless of out-gaining their opponent and being extra profitable on third downs, nonetheless, additionally they held the lead in penalties.
Whereas the Chiefs had been flagged 4 occasions for 29 yards in entrance of their dwelling crowd, the visiting Texans had been known as for eight infractions leading to a lack of 82 yards. The quantity itself was not the primary gripe for the crew afterwards, however moderately the character of a number of the calls.
And within the eyes of NFL officiating professional Ben Austro of Soccer Zebras, probably the most controversial flags ought to certainly not have been known as.
The primary of these got here with 7:00 to play within the first quarter, when Anderson was known as for roughing the passer on a Patrick Mahomes incompletion. As an alternative of the Chiefs going through a 4th-and-3, the flag stored their drive alive; seven performs later they kicked a subject aim to go up 6-3.
Based on Austro, the right name would have been none in any respect:
Texans defensive finish Will Anderson was flagged for roughing the passer. The contact was excessive, however there was no forcible contact to the top and neck space. This could not have been penalized.
He added that replay guidelines may have overturned that decision, however since there was contact to the top no such motion was taken. The flag stood, permitting Kansas Metropolis to achieve a free 15 yards.
The second controversial penalty got here with 1:52 left within the third quarter. The Texans had simply manufactured an enormous 15-play, 82-yard landing drive to cut back their deficit to at least one level. Up 13-12, Kansas Metropolis tried to get some momentum again on its subsequent possession, one thing the crew managed to do due to a spectacular 11-yard landing move from Mahomes to tight finish Travis Kelce.
That play was uncontroversial, one thing that was not the case earlier within the collection. Making a sort out in opposition to Mahomes on a 9-yard scramble, linebacker Henry To’oTo’o was hit with an pointless roughness name.
Austro once more disagreed with the decision:
A second hit on quarterback Patrick Mahomes was dominated pointless roughness. In actuality this could not have been a flag, and within the context of the sooner faulty flag, this followers the flames of preferential remedy.
On a run like this, there are NO quarterback protections, solely these obtainable to some other runner. Mahomes may be contacted due to his late choice to slip, besides the Texans could not forcibly contact him within the head or neck space. Defenders are instructed to go excessive.
There’s contact to his head, however there’s additionally contact to the physique which makes the contact incidental and never forcible to the top. What officers do see if Henry To’oTo’o coming into the sort out together with his forearm in entrance. There’s a signature of a forcible shot to the top, and sadly the crew took this as a foul.
The officiating professional later added that “[t]he well-worn trope of the Chiefs having the officers on their aspect is clearly false, however video games like this feed into it.” From that perspective, the Texans’ frustration over the officiating is comprehensible.
Nonetheless, these penalties had been just one a part of Houston’s undoing. Leaving 5 factors on the board as a consequence of three complete missed kicks, going 1-for-3 within the purple zone, and taking a 16-yard sack on a 4th-and-10 within the fourth quarter didn’t assist the crew’s probabilities of leaving Kansas Metropolis with a victory both.
The Texans wanted to convey their A-game with the intention to have a profitable recreation on Saturday afternoon, and they didn’t. Neither did the officers.
