Patrick Mahomes addresses flopping and referee favoritism allegations after outrage over penalties

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes heard the complaints about the officiating in Saturday's playoff game against the Houston Texans. 

Referees were the subject of harsh criticism over two penalties assessed to Houston for hits on Mahomes. Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was called for roughing the passer on a third down in the first quarter. 

Anderson appeared to push Mahomes in the chest after he had thrown an incomplete pass to tight end Travis Kelce. Anderson was flagged.

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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. He moved to his right and then back to his left when he decided to slide. 

After the game, Houston players and even head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested the referees favored the Chiefs with calls. 

Mahomes addressed the fan backlash during an interview on 96.5 The Fan Tuesday. 

"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," Mahomes 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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Head referee Clay Martin explained the calls to a pool reporter after the game, saying the call on Anderson was a result of "forcible contact to the face mask area," which warranted a flag. He said there was forcible contact to Mahomes’ "hairline" on the other unnecessary roughness call.

But many fans also directed criticism at Mahomes after he fell to the ground after being lightly hit by Texans defenders in the fourth quarter. Many fans accused the star quarterback of "flopping" intentionally in an effort to draw another penalty, and ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman even criticized Mahomes for the fall during the game. 

"He’s trying to draw the penalty. Rather than just run out of bounds, he slows down. And that’s been the frustration, and I get it. I understand it. That’s been the frustration for these defensive players around the league," Aikman said. 

During Mahomes' interview Tuesday, he said he "probably shouldn't have done that." 

"I would say that the only one I felt like I probably did too much was the one on the sideline where I didn’t get a flag, and the ref saw it and didn’t throw a flag. And I understood it immediately and know that I probably shouldn’t have done that," Mahomes said. 

"But, at the same time, the one that everybody’s talking about where I fell down, it’s like I was just trying to get out of the way of getting smoked by the defensive lineman running in.

"So, I’ll try to keep doing that and not take those hits because that’s the smart way to stay in the football game."

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