Sometimes, the storyline isn't so simple. The Chiefs have won three Super Bowls in the last five years, which is why the narrative surrounding this team – much like it was with the New England Patriots before them – is that they receive the benefit of the doubt from league officials.
But that can be quickly disproven by statistics, frankly. The Chiefs entered Sunday having been called for 69 penalties, which is right near the middle of the league. That number should only go up as Kansas City gets more desperate to make another postseason run – pressure isn't kind to those who bend the rules. However, the Chiefs' penalty narrative was all but debunked, once again, on Sunday.
Chiefs touchdown wiped off the board thanks to a brutal call on Jawaan Taylor
It should come as no surprise that Jawaan Taylor received the ire of the officiating crew. Taylor frequently jumps offsides (which previously went uncalled) and remains one of the best right tackles in the NFL. However, he didn't get the classic Chiefs benefit of the doubt on Sunday, when he was called for a facemask on the Indianapolis Colts. Considering KC is fighting for their playoff lives, this call couldn't have come at a worse time.
Jawaan Taylor called for a crucial penalty, negating a Travis Kelce TD pic.twitter.com/QZZueYQWOv
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 23, 2025
Taylor did make contact with the facemask of a Colts defender, there's no denying that. However, he didn't grasp and hold it, which is what the personal foul would call for.
"Penalty: For twisting, turning, pushing, pulling, or controlling the mask or helmet opening: Loss of 15 yards. The player may be disqualified if the action is flagrant. If the foul is by the defense, it is also an automatic first down," the NFL's official rulebook states.
I see no grasping. No twisting or pulling.
Jawaan Taylor penalty takes a Chiefs touchdown off the board
Chiefs fans were already frustrated heading into this game. At 5-5, Kansas City is on the outside looking in to the AFC playoff picture. They're in an unfamiliar position, and Week 12 could be a make-or-break game for them, as FanSided's Chris Landers explained.
"Lose, though, and suddenly Kansas City faces a steep uphill climb to get back to the postseason for an 11th consecutive year. They'd be sitting at 5-6 with six games remaining, and their playoff odds would drop all the way down to 35%. They'd still have the chance to play two of the teams in front of them in the standings in Houston and L.A., and a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Texans would help, but they'd need to go 4-2 down the stretch just to give themselves a puncher's chance at 9-8," Landers wrote.
As much as Chiefs fans have complained about Andy Reid's gimmicks of late, his direct snap call to Kelce worked! Kelce went untouched into the end zone. It's the officials who took what should've been a signature moment for Kelce's season off the board.