While Mahomes’ arm was moving forward, defensive end Denico Autry visibly hit his elbow, causing him to lose his grip. The Texans picked up the loose ball and returned it for a would-be touchdown, but the call was overturned due to Derek Barnett’s arm hitting Mahomes in the helmet.
With some fans deeming the hit as minimal contact to the head, many were distressed by the official ruling. The penalty was just more evidence for those who believe that the Chiefs receive unfair assistance from referees.
Criticism was even made by some media members, who were blunt with their reactions. Fx26Houston reporter Will Kunkel claimed that the officials made the call in response to fans chanting “ref you suck” at them throughout the game.
“The officials weren’t going to take the ‘REF YOU SUCK’ chants lying down,” Kunkel tweeted. “They’re back with a vengeance to prove their love for the Chiefs.”
“Refs helping the Chiefs is killing the NFL,” another fan tweeted.
Fans continue to express frustration with officials during Chiefs-Texans
The potential strip-sack from Autry and Barnett was not the only play that upset fans during the Chiefs vs. Texans game. Several other calls caught viewers’ attention, including an offensive pass interference call on Tank Dell and a holding penalty on Derek Stingley Jr.
The call against Dell specifically drew negative reactions. While working against cornerback Nazeeh Johnson, Dell seemed to make minimal contact on a short pass play, confusing fans with the call.
Stingley’s penalty also caused controversy, as it wiped off a Texans sack and gave Kansas City a first down. Stingley was penalized for dragging DeAndre Hopkins to the ground, though upon further review, the veteran wideout appeared to slip on the turf.
The penalties helped the Chiefs build a 17-10 lead over the Texans at halftime. Both teams have serious playoff implications to fight for with just a few games left in the regular season.
