NFL officiating has come under fire for various calls made during the divisional round of games, which led to the Chiefs, Bills, Eagles, and Commanders moving on to the conference championships. However, one specific incident that went unpenalized may have larger implications if the league considers following the NBA and NHL in implementing stricter measures against players who attempt to deceive referees, a point highlighted by ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman during the Texans-Chiefs game.
Currently, NFL players face penalties for the broad “unsportsmanlike conduct” violation, but there is no explicit rule against flopping. Aikman was vocal in his desire for the league to address this issue during discussions with Joe Buck regarding the officiating during Kansas City’s 23-14 win.
During the same series where quarterback Patrick Mahomes was awarded an unnecessary roughness penalty due to a late slide that caused two Texans defenders to collide, he also attempted another subtle maneuver. Scrambling left, Mahomes halted just before stepping out of bounds. As linebacker Henry To’oTo’o made contact, Mahomes exaggeratedly fell to the ground, but the officiating crew—and Aikman—saw through his act.
Aikman expressed his frustration, saying, “He’s trying to draw the penalty. Rather than just run out of bounds, he slows down,” indicating that plays that involve such tactics frustrate defenders across the league.
Earlier in that drive, Aikman voiced strong disagreement with a roughing-the-passer penalty called on To’oTo’o and defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi. The two players had inadvertently collided and made light contact with Mahomes while he was already sliding. When the flag was thrown, Aikman responded, “Oh, come on!” He asserted that since Mahomes was running, he should not have been given the same protections as a quarterback in the pocket.
Aikman noted, “That’s the second (questionable) penalty now that’s been called against the Texans. … It was a late flag, and it was Clay Martin who threw it.” He concluded by stating that the league must address these issues in the upcoming offseason.
ESPN’s rules analyst, Russell Yurk, echoed Aikman’s sentiment that neither flag should have been issued during those plays. Following the game, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans remarked that the team anticipated challenges from officiating, stating, “We knew going into today it was us versus everybody.”
Yurk also criticized another roughing-the-passer call on Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. in the first quarter, which disrupted a potential three-and-out for Kansas City. He explained, “It looked like that first contact was to the upper chest area. I didn’t see anything there that supported a foul.”
Referee Clay Martin explained his decisions to a pool reporter after the game, clarifying that he ruled forcible contact on Anderson regarding the face mask penalty and deemed that Mahomes was defenseless during To’oTo’o’s hit due to his late slide.
Walt Anderson, the NFL’s longtime senior vice president of officiating, defended both calls as correct under the current rules. He suggested that the situation regarding the roughing-the-passer penalty might be subject to debate but reiterated that any uncertainty warrants a flag. Regarding the penalty from the second incident with Mahomes, he noted that replay assistance could not be applied since the contact occurred after the player was already on the ground.
Anderson did mention that the league’s competition committee could contemplate amendments to these rules in the offseason. Aikman, for his part, expressed a clear desire for the league to take a firmer stance on flopping as well.
This article aims to provide an insightful look into the ongoing discussions around NFL officiating and potential changes in rule enforcement.
