Hall of Fame quarterback turned ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman had a problem with Patrick Mahomes. During the NFL Divisional Round, officials were criticized, particularly during the Kansas City Chiefs’ 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans. Although several questionable flags have been thrown, a no-call could be crucial if the NFL follows in the footsteps of the NBA and NHL in addressing the flop issue.
Event Breakdown
Patrick Mahomes, trying to sell the officials on another flag when he rushed to his left and appeared to lightly tap Texas linebacker Henry To’oTo’o as he went out of bounds, throwing himself to the ground. Officials didn’t believe him, but Aikman didn’t hold back his criticism. “He tries to take the penalty” » said Aikman, visibly frustrated. “Rather than going out of bounds, he slows down.”
Should the NFL reset the rule?
Aikman’s concerns have been echoed around the league, with most defensive players criticizing the way some of their offensive counterparts manipulate referees to gain an unfair advantage. These have raised speculative opinions that perhaps the NFL finally decided it needed to enforce the rule in order to get rid of it, similar to what happened in the NBA and NHL which addressed the flop problem.
After the game, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans expressed frustration with the officiating, suggesting his team was taking on not only the Chiefs but also the officials. Meanwhile, ESPN rules analyst Russell Yurk agreed with Aikman, stating that no penalty should have been given to Mahomes for misplaying the passer game because the contact was minimal.
Walt Anderson defends the appeal
Walt Anderson, the NFL’s senior vice president of officiating, defended the calls, citing league rules and explaining the officials’ reasoning. However, he also noted that the competition committee could review the rules during the offseason.
Although Mahomes’ actions were not penalized, the incident sparked debate over whether the NFL should adopt stricter guidelines to avoid failure. Aikman, for his part, hopes the league will take action before the start of next season.
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