“Refs With the BS”: Broncos Fans Upset With Flag Thrown After Patrick Mahomes’ Interception

In the 2024 regular season, one of the biggest storylines in the National Football League was that Patrick Mahomes, who has led the league in interceptions since 2018, got that record taken away by a defensive penalty. And, he just recorded yet another one.

The latest came against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, and the fans couldn’t be more irate. Even though the Broncos came into Week 11 with an 8-2 record, this was a must-win game for them. After all, they are hoping to clinch their first divisional title since 2015.

After an errant pass from Mahomes found its way into the hands of Ja’Quan McMillian, it seemed as if they were well on their way to a victory. But then came the dreaded yellow penalty flag. The internet handled it about as well as you would expect it to.

Fans immediately began to cry foul, as the convenience of the Chiefs seemingly continues to take precedence over everything else. And given the shoddy state of officiating this year, many had a hard time believing that the penalty was a valid one.

A good chunk of fans are now in the know about the trend of Mahomes’ turnovers being wiped off the board. And they are becoming increasingly vocal. Given the questionable nature of this particular penalty, the league is seeing a bit more backlash than usual.

The situation was then exacerbated after the Chiefs marched their way down the field to find a touchdown at the top of the fourth quarter. After spending the majority of the game either behind or tied with the Broncos, they were finally able to take advantage of the situation that the zebras apparently helped to create.

That three-point lead prompted even more comments from fans, with the majority of said comments containing the letters “B” and “S.”

The question now is not whether the officials were right to throw this flag. The true takeaway here is that the everyday fan has grown tired of seeing Mahomes and co. receive what they believe to be preferential treatment.

Until something changes, some poor social media intern is going to continue to field a never-ending sea of complaints in the comment section. But then again, when your favorite team is being victimized by one of the most suspicious trends in all of football, it’s hard to feel any other way.

Thankfully, Denver was still presented with a fair opportunity at the end of the game. A 35-yard field goal with time running out gave Denver a 22-19 win over the Chiefs. It gave Denver a 9-2 record entering its bye week, while Kansas City fell to 5-5 on the year.