It wouldn’t be a tried and true Kansas City Chiefs season without a little bit of drama, though this year it has come earlier than usual. In Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Chiefs benefitted from a DPI call on 4th and 16, which then allowed Harrison Butker to kick the game-winning field goal.
Most would agree that, by the letter of the law, it was pass interference by the defensive back. Despite that, fans can’t help but once again feel that the Chiefs got a favorable whistle at a crucial moment. This time, it led to a regular season win, but this kind of thing happening in the playoffs would set the NFL world ablaze.
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Sunday’s outcome had fans riled up. Even before then, Patrick Mahomes‘ called-back interception had the stats coming out about how many times that has happened.
Of course, many of those were on free plays in which the defense jumped offside or he knew there would be a penalty. But it’s more fuel to the fire.
The easiest way for the Chiefs and Andy Reid to put this conspiracy theory to bed would be to simply play better. Blowing out teams would make it impossible for fans to call foul play, but it’s tough to do if the offense isn’t efficient and turns the ball over.
The Chiefs had an average scoring margin of +8.7, +9.7, +5.7, +7.0 and +7.0 in Mahomes’ first five seasons as the starter. In 2023, that fell to +5.2, and it’s currently at +4.0 in 2024 so far. They will play easier teams this season, which should put them in more advantageous positions and allow to them to quash the narrative.
