The NFL seems to be listening to officiating criticisms within the wake of a controversial penalty within the Kansas City Chiefs‘ divisional-round win over the Houston Texans.
Penalties stemming from quarterback slides are anticipated to grow to be reviewable within the 2025 season by means of the NFL’s replay help system, ESPN reported Saturday.
There have been just a few penalties and performs involving Patrick Mahomes that obtained scrutiny following the Chiefs’ win over the Texans. Essentially the most controversial of the three got here within the third quarter, when Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o appeared to hit Mahomes at the same time he began to go down on a operating play. Nevertheless, most of his drive was thrown towards his teammate on the play.
Although Mahomes was a runner and the play was a little bit of an ungainly collision, To’oTo’o was flagged for an pointless roughness penalty. The Chiefs obtained an computerized first down and later scored a landing on that drive to increase their result in eight factors.
That play could be reviewable if the NFL permits replay help to reassess penalties on quarterback slides. The opposite controversial hits involving Mahomes, although, would not be. The primary penalty the Texans got for successful on Mahomes was a roughing the passer call in opposition to Will Anderson Jr., who tackled the Chiefs quarterback up excessive after he threw a cross within the first quarter.
[Related: Patrick Mahomes doesn’t feel officials favor Chiefs]
The opposite play got here on the identical drive because the controversial penalty and it additionally concerned To’oTo’o. Within the fourth quarter, To’oTo’o pushed Mahomes as he was operating alongside the sideline. The Chiefs quarterback seemed to exaggerate the contact, probably within the hope of garnering one other pointless roughness. No penalty was known as, so replay help would not have been wanted.
Mahomes took some possession for embellishing the latter hit involving To’oTo’o just a few days after the Chiefs’ win.
“I’d say the one one I felt like I most likely did an excessive amount of was the one on the sideline the place I did not get the flag,” Mahomes told 96.5 The Fan. “The refs noticed it and it did not get a flag. I understood it instantly and know that I most likely should not have achieved that.”
Tom Brady discusses officiating and the Chiefs
NFL on FOX lead analyst Tom Brady was additionally amongst these to voice some concern over the penalty To’oTo’o was assessed for his hit on Mahomes within the third quarter, imploring the NFL to change the rules surrounding quarterbacks after they run down the sector.
“When quarterbacks grow to be operating backs and so they’re out of the pocket, they need to lose their safety,” Brady stated on “The Herd.” “We’re making an attempt to guard the quarterbacks, however coaches are calling extra quarterback runs than ever within the historical past of the sport. So, who’s defending the quarterback? We’re making an attempt to say the referees ought to do it?”
Replay help has been part of NFL video games since 2021, permitting expedited opinions to change apparent calls on the sector. At present, the spot after a play and whether or not a cross was accomplished or not are among the many reviewable performs for replay help. Penalties have been allowed to be reviewable below replay help starting within the 2024 season, together with intentional grounding, late hits out of bounds and hits up excessive to the quarterbacks.
The NFL’s competitors committee will convene on the annual league assembly that’s scheduled to happen March 30-April 2.
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