Ball don’t lie: 3 egregious missed calls that gave Chiefs another AFCCG berth

The Kansas City Chiefs are inevitable once the playoffs come around. They could look lifeless on offense and defense during the regular season, but they know when to step up when the games are important. That's why you can never count them out.

On Saturday, the Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans 23-14 to advance to the AFC Championship Game for the seventh consecutive season. However, to say this was a game free of controversy is not accurate. The referees made plenty of controversial calls, and they worked in the benefit of the Chiefs.

Here are three egregious calls and non-calls that worked in the benefit of the Chiefs and cost the Houston Texans.

3. Calling bad spot on Texans opening drive of second half

In the third quarter, there was a questionable job by the referees of spotting the football on a reception by wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson. On second-and-14, Hutchinson appeared to reach for the first down. However, the referees deemed that Hutchinson was a yard short.

To make matters worse for the Texans is that on the play after, Joe Mixon's one-yard run for a first down was negated due to an illegal motion penalty by tight end Irv Smith. But, the Texans did get the first down on a six-yard run by quarterback C.J. Stroud. One play later, Mixon was in the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown run to seemingly tie the game (until a missed extra point by Ka'imi Fairbairn).

It was a questionable call by the officials to spot the football where they did. However, the Texans did get a touchdown regardless.

2. Missed hip-drop tackle penalty on Bryan Cook

There was also missed calls in the game as well. Look no further than the Texans' opening drive of the game.

On a first-and-10 on their own 31-yard line, Stroud connected with tight end Dalton Schultz on a deep pass along the left sidelines for a 34-yard gain. Schultz was brought down on a tackle by Chiefs safety Bryan Cook. But when looking at the play by Cook, it looked like a hip-drop tackle, one that the league was cracking down on all season.

The NFL approved of a rule to remove hip-drop tackling. For the team who commits a hip-drop tackle, they will receive a 15-yard penalty, with the opposing team earning an automatic first down. Well, the Chiefs weren't assessed a 15-yard penalty on that play.

While the Texans didn't get extra yardage after that catch, they did manage to tie the game up at 3-3 on a Fairbairn 30-yard field goal.

1. Roughing the passer penalty benefits Patrick Mahomes

If there is one story that will dominate headlines after this game, it is the roughing the passer penalties called in the game, to the benefit of Patrick Mahomes.

On Kansas City's second drive of the game, Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. had a clear path towards Mahomes, and hit him below the helmet as he let go of a pass. But, the referees deemed that Anderson had committed a roughing the passer penalty, with Mahomes selling the hit a bit.

When looking at the replay, it appears that Anderson hit Mahomes in the chest, with their facemasks grazing one another. Even so, the referees felt that Anderson had roughed Mahomes, and gave the Chiefs a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.

While Houston didn't give up a touchdown after this penalty, it did result in three points being scored by Kansas City.

Expect there to be plenty of debate on roughing the passer penalties, as there were not one, but two in this game alone that worked in the benefit of Mahomes and the Chiefs. Defenders especially want to now how they can tackle a quarterback and not get penalized.