“Numbers Don’t Bear That Out”: Shannon Sharpe, Chad Johnson Back Patrick Mahomes’ Claims About Chiefs Not Being Favored by Refs

The controversy over the officiating in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 23-14 divisional playoff victory against the Houston Texans has reached a fever pitch. After the Texans were hit with two questionable penalties in the contest – a roughing the passer call and an unnecessary roughness penalty – players, fans, and pundits alike continue to weigh in on the situation.

Patrick Mahomes responded to it as well, recognizing the difficulties referees face when trying to “keep it to where the players are making the plays.”

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens during the game, something is going to come out about it if you win; if you continue to win, I don’t really pay attention to it.”

On the latest episode of Nightcap, former NFL players, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Shannon Sharpe, came to the defense of both Patrick Mahomes and NFL officials. Sharpe began the discussion by noting, “Roughing calls, per 100 pass attempts, Patrick Mahomes received the fewest.”

Johnson agreed with him, stating, “Earlier today on Inside NFL, we broke down the numbers… about people feeling that Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs in general, got all these calls… Come to find out, it was nothing like that when you looked at the numbers in its totality.”

Chad also pointed out that Kansas City’s offensive line has been called for the most holding penalties in the league. Despite what people may say, Sharpe and Johnson believe “the numbers don’t bear that out.”

The reality of officiating the Kansas City Chiefs

To Johnson’s credit, he did point out the fact that the Chiefs’ opponents are seeming penalized “at the most opportune times.” However, it’s also worth noting that both men were drawing their conclusions from regular season stats. The playoff stats surrounding Kansas City tell a much different story.

Since 2021, the Chiefs have played in a total of 11 playoff games. Never once were they penalized more than their opponent. Throughout those 11 games, Kansas City has been penalized a total of 36 times. Their opponents have combined for a total of 66 penalties.

The numbers paint an even more bleak picture upon closer examination. NFL analyst Warren Sharp has pointed out, “The Chiefs have 18.4 Expected Points Added as a result of penalties in those 11 games. 8 of those 11 games were decided by 1 score or less.”

While there are numerous reasons as to why this may be, Sharp’s analysis ultimately highlights the fact that any, if not all, potential explanations are a moot point. This becomes evident upon surveying the same data for other teams across the same period.

With no other team coming close to the Chiefs’ penalty advantage, speculation is likely to continue as fans have yet to be given an acceptable answer to this ongoing phenomenon. Kansas City will face off against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday in the AFC Championship game, a rematch from the 2020 season.

The NFL has announced that the officiating crew for the contest will be led by Clete Blakeman. Blakeman and his crew averaged 15.8 penalties per game this season, the most in the NFL. However, it should be noted that the Chiefs have a losing record of 3-4 throughout the past five years when Blakeman is at the helm. Additionally, Mahomes has a career record of 5-6 in games officiated by Blakeman. In contrast, the Bills have a record of 5-2 with Blakeman across that same time.

Despite the disparity in penalties, no one can deny the talent that resides on the Kansas City roster. With the spotlight growing increasingly larger with every passing week, neither the Bills, the Chiefs, nor the officials can afford to mess up on Sunday. The public is expected to watch this game with an incredibly close eye.