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“This Is a 15-Yard Penalty Against Any Other Player”: NFL Fans React to Footage of Patrick Mahomes Flexing on Brian Branch After a TD

Reese Patanjo
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Patrick Mahomes

NFL fans are once again up in arms over the Kansas City Chiefs and their perceived favoritism from the referees. They had zero, that’s right, zero penalties against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football.

KC either played a perfect football game, or the refs were told to call a loose contest. Whichever it was, it became very evident while watching the game, and some fans are starting to lose their minds over Patrick Mahomes and the constant penalties that either go his way or aren’t called on him.

Meanwhile, the league has already suspended the Lions’ defensive back, Brian Branch, for a post-game skirmish. Branch went over to JuJu Smith-Schuster following the defeat and open-handed slapped him across the helmet, sending JuJu to the turf. After the Chiefs wideout got up to retaliate, Branch grabbed him by the facemask and tossed him to the ground, and the two proceeded to exchange punches.

Now, everyone agrees that what Branch did after the game was unsportsmanlike and that he deserves his one-game suspension without pay.

But there was another moment during the Sunday contest that seemingly flew right over the officials’ heads. It came after Mahomes scored a rushing touchdown, with footage showing him flexing on Branch during his end zone celebration.

It may have been a late flex, but it was a flex nonetheless. With the new unsportsmanlike rules in place, it simply has to be a penalty on Mahomes. He blatantly taunted Branch right in front of the officials. 

This comes on the heels of Cam Skattebo being penalized for saying “first down” to his defender on Thursday night, receiving a taunting penalty for it. First of all, that penalty was a complete joke, and fans were furious. Meanwhile, the Chiefs and Mahomes were spared despite making a literal gesture toward a defender.

When fans reacted to the footage, they had had enough with the NFL and the inconsistency of the taunting calls. Especially with the lack of calls against the Chiefs and Mahomes.

“This is a 15-yard penalty against any other player btw,” one wrote.

“Skatebo gets a penalty for saying “first down” at a defender while running by him…. But Pat? No taunting here @NFLOfficiating ??? At least make it look like ur calling games fair,” another angry fan chimed in.

Even the Twitter AI, Grok, got involved in the conversation, as fans asked the bot if the play qualified for a taunting penalty. Here’s what it had to say:

“Mahomes’ post-TD point and ball-drop gesture toward Branch qualifies as taunting under NFL rules, directing mockery at an opponent. Skattebo’s verbal “first down” shout similarly targeted a defender, warranting the flag. Inconsistent calls like these erode trust in officiating, regardless of intent or star status,” Grok wrote. 

The AI bot couldn’t have been more correct. Over the past four or five seasons, trust in NFL officiating has been largely eroded among fans. This is because it sometimes feels like Mahomes and the Chiefs are favored by the officiating crew. They get fewer penalties called against them, while the other team racks up penalties in questionable situations.

Take the Lions’ first drive of the game, for example. They went on a beautiful, 15-play, 61-yard drive that took the first 10 minutes off the clock. It was supposed to end with a wild trick play where Jared Goff motioned out wide, David Montgomery hit him for a screen pass, and the QB plowed his way into the endzone. It was one of the coolest plays of the season.

But wait! There was a flag on the play, and, of course, it went in the Chiefs’ favor. Detroit and Goff were called for illegal motion, wiping the points off the board. Eventually, they had to settle for a field goal. 

We all know that the play was technically called correctly. But many fans feel that if Mahomes and the Chiefs had tried something similar, a penalty might not have been called. They might have been allowed the touchdown, and even celebration from Mahomes might have gone unpenalized.

At the end of the day, maybe the Chiefs are just a very good team. But it’s hard to ignore when they go a game without penalties, and even harder when Mahomes, widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks today, doesn’t get called for actions that normally would draw a flag.

The NFL needs to fix this because if inconsistencies continue, the product could suffer. Right now, it may drive engagement, but over time, fans could start tuning out Chiefs games if questionable calls keep happening.

Post Edited By:Samnur Reza

About the author

Reese Patanjo

Reese Patanjo

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Reese is an NFL Journalist for The SportsRush. He was a University of Oregon graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in writing and communications. A fan of the NFL since he was young, Reese is a Dallas Cowboys fan at heart. However, his favorite NFL moment was the 54-51 Monday night game between the Rams and Chiefs in 2018. Reese's favorite player changes with time but currently he reps Trevon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb jerseys. When he isn't watching the NFL, you can find Reese engulfed in any of the other major sports. He's a massive MLB fan, go Red Sox. He also loves the NBA and College Basketball. But pretty much any sport, Soccer, NHL, PGA,- you name it, Reese watches.

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