The Houston Texans’ playoff journey came to an abrupt halt as they fell 23-14 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round. The game was marred by controversial calls that seemed to favor the home team. The Chiefs were penalized just four times for 29 yards,while the Texans were flagged eight times,costing them 82 yards.
Head coach Demeco Ryans acknowledged the challenges of playing at Arrowhead Stadium but stopped short of directly criticizing the officials, unlike running back Joe Mixon, who was more vocal about the perceived bias.
“We knew it was us against the world in this game,” Ryans stated post-game. “When I say the world, I mean everyone—the critics, the doubters, everything we had to overcome.We couldn’t afford the mistakes we made, and unluckily, many of them were self-inflicted.”
Mixon was more direct in his assessment. “Everyone knows how it is indeed playing here in Kansas City. You can’t leave anything up to the officials. The whole world saw what happened,but that’s just how it goes.”
A pivotal moment came during Kansas City’s second offensive drive when a roughing-the-passer penalty was called on Will Anderson for a hit on Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs capitalized on the prospect, scoring a field goal seven plays later.
The Texans managed thier sole touchdown in the third quarter during a 10-minute drive, but it was overshadowed by three penalties: a false start, offensive pass interference by Dalton Schultz, and an illegal motion by Irv Smith.
Another contentious call was an unneeded roughness penalty against Henry To’o To’o for a hit on Mahomes in the third quarter.Mahomes had become a runner after recovering a fumble,and both To’o To’o and Folorunso Fatukasi attempted to tackle him.
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CJ Stroud Takes the High Road
Quarterback C.J. Stroud chose not to blame the officials, emphasizing that they are professionals doing their best under challenging circumstances. He also stressed the importance of focusing on his own performance rather than disputing calls.
“It’s tough, but I’m not going to comment on the officials’ decisions,” Stroud said. “You know what you’re walking into when you step onto the field. I can’t argue with the refs and play football simultaneously occurring. My job is to focus on the game. There were some calls I questioned,but they’re professionals,and they’re paid to make those decisions.”
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Fw”>April 8, 2024
