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Texans Unhappy with Officiating After Divisional Round Defeat to Chiefs
The Houston Texans are voicing their frustrations after a controversial 23-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Despite entering the game as the underdog, with a determined mindset following their wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Texans left Arrowhead Stadium with a bitter taste, particularly due to the officiating. The Texans felt they were on the receiving end of several questionable calls, with a particular focus on the eight accepted penalties they accumulated throughout the game.
Defensive end Will Anderson expressed his frustration, stating, "We knew it was going to be us against the refs going into this game." He added that while they made some mistakes, there were instances where they performed well. However, the penalties certainly added to their struggles. Anderson himself was flagged for roughing the passer on a third-and-8 incomplete pass by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The penalty, which gave Kansas City a fresh set of downs, ultimately led to a go-ahead field goal. The referees cited "forcible contact to the facemask area" as the reasoning behind the call.
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Another critical moment came later in the third quarter when Mahomes scrambled and slid to the ground. Two Texans defenders collided with each other and made contact with Mahomes after his slide, resulting in a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness. This penalty, in turn, helped Kansas City extend their drive and culminated in a touchdown catch by tight end Travis Kelce. The referees explained that Mahomes, while sliding, was considered "defenseless," putting the onus on the defenders to avoid contact.
The Texans weren’t shy about airing their grievances. Running back Joe Mixon weighed in, remarking, "You can never leave it into the refs' hands." Head coach DeMeco Ryans also acknowledged that mistakes were made on their part, stating that they needed to improve in areas like special teams, coverage, and quarterback protection. However, Ryans couldn’t help but feel disheartened by the officiating and the accumulation of penalties that worked against his team.
In total, the Texans were penalized eight times for 82 yards, compared to the Chiefs' four penalties for just 29 yards. This disparity was hard to ignore, and the Texans pointed out that such an imbalance was a tough challenge to overcome. Despite these setbacks, the Texans' head coach was disappointed with his team's performance, stating that they could have played better. He emphasized that in postseason football, teams need to operate at their best, something that the Texans didn’t manage to do on Saturday.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked eight times during the game, and the offense could only muster one touchdown. Meanwhile, kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn struggled with missed kicks, including an extra point and a field goal. Houston also started the game with a 63-yard kickoff return, only to see the play nullified by a fumble they failed to recover. Adding to the frustration, cornerback Kris Boyd was penalized 15 yards for throwing his helmet, later apologizing for an incident where he shoved special teams coordinator Frank Ross.
Despite the officiating controversy and the unfortunate mistakes made throughout the game, the Texans are already focusing on next season. The loss is undoubtedly tough to swallow, but Ryans remains determined to push his team forward. "We’ve got to keep going," he said, emphasizing the importance of team chemistry and learning from these tough playoff experiences.
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