Troy Aikman, followers furious over penalty on Patrick Mahomes hit

NFL followers had been mortified by controversial officiating when referees levied an unecessary roughness penalty on the Texans within the third quarter of Saturday’s AFC divisional spherical sport towards Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who had been 23-14 victors. 

Even analyst Troy Aikman and guidelines professional Russell Yurk, on the decision for ESPN, had been in disbelief on the flag.

“Oh, come on — I imply, he’s a runner,” Aikman lamented. “I couldn’t disagree with that yet another. He barely will get hit.”

“The 2 Houston gamers hit one another,” Yurk, a former NFL officiating government, identified. “That ought to not have been a foul.” 

“They’ve gotta handle it within the offseason,” Aikman added. 

Yellow flags flew in on the play — a first-and-10 from the Chiefs’ 35-yard line — after Mahomes scrambled out of the pocket and briefly turned upfield.

With a number of defenders closing in, he slid down close to the 40-yard line.

The quarterback’s slide was a fast one, and the 2 Texans defenders in closest proximity left their toes at virtually the identical second Mahomes did.

These defenders — Henry To’oTo’o and Foley Fatukasi — made way more contact with one another than they did with Mahomes, who, by the point of their collision, was already on the turf beneath them.

The sport broadcast lower to a shot of Houston defenders, palms face up in disbelief.

And that sentiment was echoed all throughout the nation by followers on social media.

“By no means actually disliked the Chiefs till now. Ref’s bailing them out time and again, Mahomes flopping round like an English Premier League striker…” one X person wrote.

“Offensive Diving ought to be an unsportsmanlike penalty,” chimed one other.

“Future narrator: They didn’t handle it within the low season,” wrote a 3rd, in reference to Aikman.

The rating was 13-12 on the time the penalty was referred to as, and the penalty gave Kansas Metropolis a recent set of downs and moved the offense 15 yards nearer to the top zone. 

Mahomes and firm reached the promised land 9 performs later — capping the 13 play, 81-yard drive with a landing to increase their result in eight factors. 

The Chiefs will tackle the winner of Sunday’s Ravens-Payments sport subsequent week within the AFC title sport.