Once again, the Kansas City Chiefs are one game away from the Super Bowl. The two-time defending champions defeated the Houston Texans 23-14 in the Divisional Round to advance to the AFC Championship Game, but they didn’t do so without controversy.
NFL officials have been accused of aiding Kansas City for the past couple of seasons, and their win over Houston did nothing to help quiet that narrative.
Not only did Will Anderson Jr. get hit with a phantom roughing call but Henry To’oTo’o and Foley Fatukasi were flagged for a highly questionable late hit on Patrick Mahomes. That call was so bad it sent Troy Aikman into a frenzy.
After the game ended, Houston players — as well as head coach DeMeco Ryans — vented their frustration. Ryans said they knew they would be against “everyone” while Anderson had no problem saying they had to battle the refs.
That led to Kansas City cornerback Jaylen Watson calling out Houston. Watson said he misses when “grown men” took their losses like men.
I miss when grown men took they losses like a man a new day and age though…
— Wat’s Island🏝 (@JaylenWatson12) January 19, 2025
That’s an easy statement for Watson to make. Now in his third season with the Chiefs, Watson hasn’t been on the receiving end of such frustrating calls.
He also hasn’t had to hear the league defend those calls, which is what happened on Sunday morning according to Tom Pelissero.
Houston knows they had several missed opportunities, and were dominated on special teams. Their miscues and inability to put the ball in the end zone proved to be their undoing.
While that’s true, it’s hard to watch these games and not understand the frustration players and coaches feel when facing a team that doesn’t need help get the calls.