The Week 3 for the Kansas City Chiefs brought the question back: Is Patrick Mahomes’ team favored by the referees? The KC team was currently on their first road game of the season to Atlanta on Sunday, September 22. Earlier in the game, the Chiefs were trailing behind the Falcons, 0-7.

But later on, after Patrick Mahomes found Rashee Rice near the end zone, he passed the football leading to a touchdown, and the score tied with the host team, after a field goal. And since then, Mahomes and his Chiefs never looked back. They continued to add more and more points in their pocket. But as they say, when you win, criticism and speculation follow. Similarly, it happened with the Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs are again in the referee controversy!

As Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs continued to rise in the game, according to many social media users, they got support from the referees. And talking about the same, Sr. NFL reporter, Albert Breer, said on X, “The Chiefs have mirrored the old Patriots in a lot of ways, and I guess getting the Michael Jordan treatment from the refs is another one.” He associated this ref’s help with that of Michael Jordan’s time.

So what happened was, in Jordan’s early years with the Chicago Bulls, the team faced repeated heartbreak in the playoffs, often losing to the Detroit Pistons. As obvious, this sparked a fierce rivalry. The Pistons, known for their tough defense, regularly stopped Jordan’s playoff runs, making the losses even more frustrating.

Finally, when Jordan and the Bulls beat them in the playoffs, the Pistons left the court without shaking hands, fueling the bad blood. Not only that, but even the Pistons also felt that Jordan was getting special treatment from referees because of his rising fame. And guess what? Some people firmly believe that Michael Jordan didn’t need any special treatment because he was already good. Similarly, some NFL fans now think the Kansas City Chiefs don’t need any special favors as they believe in Mahomes’ exceptional skills.

Nevertheless, this has now become a regular topic in the Chiefs game. Despite Patrick Mahomes and the franchise’s win, the speculators are affirmed in their thoughts.

Not only Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs, the Falcons were also favored

The Chiefs pulled off a tight 22-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons. But all anyone could talk about afterward was the controversy! Once again, the referees found themselves at the center of the conversation in the Chiefs game. And we all know that’s not a unique perspective when Patrick Mahomes and his team are on the gridiron.

What happened was, in the fourth quarter, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins launched a crucial pass to Kyle Pitts in the end zone. It looked like Chiefs’ Bryan Cook made contact before the ball got there. So, ideally, it should be a clear pass interference, right? Wrong! The refs actually didn’t think so. As a result, they didn’t give any call.

Not only this! Even after that, the Falcons had one last chance, but Kansas City’s defense shut them down, leaving Falcons fans frustrated. Consequently, these frustrated fans are now bringing up the controversial call topic. And it’s not the first time.

Just last week, the Chiefs got a game-winning field goal. It was set up because of a pass interference call against the Bengals. People again noticed it, claiming that it feels like the defending champs are getting some extra help from the officials. But is it so? Well, a recent favor for the Falcons from the refs can contradict the criticism.

No wonder, football is a tough game for referees as well. But some decisions are just hard to ignore. Like the recent roughing of the passer call on Chris Jones that left everyone scratching their heads. So, yes, the refs might be taking some poor calls, but questioning in favor of the calls is leaving an impression on the NFL fans.

Nevertheless, Patrick Mahomes’ team won the game against the Falcons on SNF, 22-17.

Besides that, do check out our latest Think Tank exclusive interview with Doug Sanders. It’s packed with insights on the current NFL season, college football, NIL, and much more.