It’s been a wild ride for the Kansas City Chiefs this season. At the halfway point, Monday night’s game against Tampa Bay might have perfectly captured it. The Chiefs struggled—they fumbled the ball, let tackles slip away, and gave the Buccaneers a real shot. Yet, even with all that chaos, Kansas City still walked away with a victory. NBA legend Paul Pierce will tell you the same story with his unique analogy. But fans? They have another interesting claim.

FS1 recently posted a video on Instagram where Pierce shared his take on why the Chiefs seem invincible. “The more and more I watch the Chiefs, they do look unbeatable,” Pierce said. “You know who they remind me of? They remind me of Floyd Mayweather, like on the back end of his career. Like he wouldn’t knock you out, but he just all kept beating people.” Pierce pointed out how, despite Mayweather’s injuries and setbacks, he just kept winning—a fitting comparison to Kansas City’s gritty style this season.

Pierce didn’t stop there. He went on to describe exactly what makes the Chiefs so formidable. “And that’s what the Chiefs look like. I mean, they grind you out with the run game. Everything is slow and methodical. And then when it’s time for the big play, bam, my arms hit you… they just keep finding ways to win.” Pierce sees Kansas City as a team that, like Mayweather, doesn’t always deliver flashy knockouts but relies on a relentless approach to wear down opponents.

And in the same fashion, Chiefs won their latest game. Tampa Bay forced overtime, tying the game with only 27 seconds left. But Kansas City responded with a touchdown of their own, snatching a 30-24 win and extending their record to 8-0. They became just the sixth defending Super Bowl champions to reach that mark, doing so in nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat style.

However, while many fans agree with Paul Pierce’s assessment, others suggest the Chiefs have had a little help along the way—particularly, from the referees.

Fans takes aim at Chefs after Pierce’s analogy

Paul Pierce’s comment comparing the Kansas City Chiefs to Floyd Mayweather went viral fans were quick to comment. For some, there was one glaring omission: the referees. “Don’t forget the refs,” one fan noted, with another adding, “Doesn’t hurt when you have the refs in your corner.” It’s a debate that’s been brewing for a while now—are the Chiefs getting extra help?

The recent showdown against the Bengals only fueled the fire more. In a close win over Cincinnati, former Bengals star T.J. Houshmandzadeh reignited the controversy, accusing the refs of tipping the scales. “Give every game to the Chiefs rest of season. Refs in their favor every game,” he tweeted, implying the outcome was rigged from the start.

One play in particular has critics talking. A near-interception in the third quarter had some fans crying foul, suggesting the Chiefs benefit from a pattern of favorable calls. More fans are chiming in as the Chiefs push for a rare three-peat. “I’m a Niners fan, they’re going to 3P–they’re great and they have the refs around,” one fan wrote.

Kansas City’s stats back up their winning streak—they’re scraping by with an average of 7 points per game, the slimmest margin since the 2006 Colts, who went on to win the Super Bowl. For Chiefs fans, it’s a promising sign, but for skeptics, the refs remain the hidden factor, “Can’t beat them and the referees😂”.