Talk about the Chiefs vs Texans divisional round game and everyone will put their own POV. For one, according to the Texans, the game was “Us vs everyone.” For Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs? Well, let’s just say they’re probably looking at the big picture right about now – the championship game against the Bills. Then there were the refs who were flying the flags like no one cares.

Look, everyone loves to talk about the penalties, right? And there were a couple of instances during the game when the Texans lost yards due to the penalties. That somehow tilted the game. But here’s the thing: the QB’s dad, Pat Mahomes Sr. doesn’t exactly have time for all that whining.

“The whole thing about play-off football is to survive in advance and once you survive in advance you got a chance for the next game,” Mahomes Sr. responded on the penalty calls on 2 Gems and a Mic Sports Podcast. “So that game went about how I expected the penalties and all that complaint and stuff, I don’t buy into all that,” “Yeah Patrick, I’ve been telling Patrick now for nine years that you know he needs to get his butt down get out of bounds, and stop, you know, playing around like that.”

See, Pat Mahomes seems to believe that it’s playoff football—stuff’s gonna happen. And at the end of the day, it’s not about the flags or the controversy. It’s about surviving to play another game. And he’s not wrong. The Chiefs QB has been always fearless and takes chances when he needs to. He runs when he needs to. Let’s not forget that diving TD pass to Kelce when he avoided the sack.

“I said, you know, back when we played we had a guy they called a goon and they put him in,” he continued. “He hardly ever played and his job was to take the quarterback out, you know, no matter if he got kicked out or whatever. I said just put yourself in position for that to happen but you know with helmet to helmet and all that and I grew up you lost you lost it was no excuses and no matter how it happened.” Hmm, that’s some no-nonsense football wisdom, right? Seems like Mahomes and the Chiefs may probably want to adhere to it amidst the penalties drama.

Speaking of the penalties, yeah, they’re part of the game’s result and the Texans were not happy at all. The Texans got flagged a couple of times, and both times, guess who was involved? Yep, Patrick Mahomes. The first one came in the Chiefs’ second drive. The Texans’ DE, Will Anderson Jr., was flagged for roughing the passer on Mahomes’ incomplete pass to Kelce.

The second one? It came in the third quarter when Mahomes scrambled and slid when the Texans’ DT, Folorunso Fatukasi, and linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, collided with him. Later, the refs flagged the Houston team for unnecessary roughness. Now, after the Texans’ critical response against the refs, the NFL broke the silence on the drama.

The Texans got a response from the NFL

“We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game.” That’s what Anderson had said after the divisional round when he was flagged for roughing the passer. But what about the referee, Clay Martin? Well, the ref justified his call to the reporters after the game as well. “I had forcible contact to the face mask area, and so I went with roughing the passer on that play,” Martin stated. And Anderson didn’t like it.

All in all, like it or not, the NFL Senior VP of Officiating Walt Anderson, has confirmed that the calls made by the refs were right during the game.  He appeared on the NFL Game Day with a detailed explanation. “When the defenders come in and they end up coming in face-to-face, if there’s contact to the head of the quarterback that’s probably going to be called by the officials,” he said. “Now it has to be forcible, and one of the things we added this year is if there’s no contact at all to the helmet replay can assist, but on this play, there was contact.”

“You can end up having the debate on whether it was forceful or not, and that’s going to be one of those conversations for the competition committee to consider next year. But when he comes in right there face-to-face, officials are going to call that.” Anderson stated about the Texans’ DE being flagged.

Later, Anderson explained the second penalty. “When No. 39 comes in and the hairline of his helmet strikes the runner who is already on the ground – that’s a foul. Even if replay assist could help in that when there’s contact like that, that’s not going to be changed by replay assist,” Anderson said.

Now, the Texans are already out of the season. Sure, the fans may not like it but the NFL is clear on its decision. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are gearing up as they’re just two steps away from a 3-peat.