DeMeco Ryans, Will Anderson Jr. react to controversial penalties vs. Chiefs: ‘We knew it was … us vs. the refs’

The Chiefs’ divisional round win over the Texans wasn’t without controversy.

Kansas City emerged victorious with a 23-14 win, doing just enough to hold C.J. Stroud and Co. quiet on a brisk and scornful Saturday night. According to ESPN’s Stats and Info, Houston became the first team to out-gain their opponent in yardage by 100 or more yards, commit zero turnovers, and lose a postseason game.

Margins were tight throughout the game, with both the Chiefs and Texans’ pass rush showing off their mights at different points. Stroud and Patrick Mahomes had moments of brilliance, while Travis Kelce turned back the clock with another sterling playoff display.

However, few sights will linger in football fans’ minds more than the steady stream of flags that spilled across the field, most of which were directed at those draped in blue-and-white.

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Here’s what you need to know about the calls that came to define much of Kansas City and Houston’s match.

Chiefs controversial calls, explained

There were a handful of controversial calls that went in Kansas City’s favor on Saturday night. From a pair of polarizing roughing the passer calls to an alleged hip-drop tackle that went unnoticed, the Chiefs looked the more fortuitous of the two sides when it came to refereeing.

The drama started from the game’s opening frame. Bryan Cook looked to have brought down Houston tight end Dalton Schultz via hip-drop tackle after a lengthy pass play — a no-no in NFL circles.

Schultz even gestured for the flag to be thrown, but the referees were none the wiser.

On Kansas City’s first drive of the game, Mahomes was brought to the turf via Will Anderson Jr.’s harrowing pass rush. The play — which resulted in an incomplete pass — looked fairly innocuous. That is, until a canary flew out of a referee’s pocket. Anderson was adjudged to have made contact with Mahomes’ head and neck area.

Not everyone was convinced.

The early call set the stage for what was a sordid display from the match’s referees, at least if you’re of a Houston persuasion. Ticky-tacky decisions fell in Kansas City’s direction more times than most. Kai’mi Fairbairn’s miss from 55 yards was altered, in no small part, by Justin Reid, who broke around the edge to make a play for the ball. Further examination revealed Reid jumped early and should’ve been flagged for offsides.

Henry To’oTo’o was whistled for a similarly contentious unnecessary roughness call in the third quarter. Nine plays later, the Chiefs were in the end zone, effectively putting the game out of reach.

All told, the Texans were said to have committed eight fouls on Saturday night, losing 82 yards in the process. Kansas City, by comparison, was only flagged four times, surrendering 29 yards as a result.

“We knew going into this game that it was us versus everybody,” head coach DeMeco Ryans said postgame. “And when I say ‘everybody,’ it’s everybody.”

Anderson Jr. was far more direct, saying “We knew it was going to be us vs. the refs going into this game.” He didn’t blame the refs for the loss, echoing his coach by saying the Texans needed to play better, but it’s clear he took issue with some of the calls.

Indeed, refereeing wasn’t the sole reason Houston dropped its divisional contest on Saturday. It might not have even been the biggest reason, as special teams faltered while the Texans’ offensive line allowed an already-gimpy C.J. Stroud to be dumped eight times behind the line of scrimmage. 

Nevertheless, the umpires certainly didn’t help Houston’s chances. Any team that hopes to vanquish the Chiefs will need a little luck. That didn’t quite come to fruition for the Texans at Arrowhead Stadium.

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