Mahomes Dismisses Favoritism Claims Ahead of AFC Championship

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes dismissed claims that he and his team receive favorable calls from officials as they prepare to face the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium.

“I don’t feel that way,” Mahomes said Wednesday. “At the end of the day, the referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they possibly can. And all you can do is go out there and play the game that you love as hard as you can and live with the results.”

The Texans were penalized twice for hits against Mahomes in last week’s divisional round game, both occurring on Chiefs scoring drives. One penalty extended a drive on third down, fueling speculation about officiating bias. However, Mahomes emphasized that every play is unique and that he focuses solely on winning.

This matchup marks the fourth time in five seasons that the Chiefs and Bills have met in the playoffs, with Kansas City winning the previous three postseason encounters. The Bills, however, have won the last four regular-season meetings, including a 30-21 victory in Week 11 this season.

“It’s just two really good football teams going up against each other,” Mahomes said. “They have great players at every level on both sides of the ball, and they’re well coached. Every game’s close, so it just comes down to a play here or there that makes an impact on the outcome.”

Mahomes and Bills quarterback Josh Allen have a history of thrilling duels, most notably in the 2021 divisional round, where the Chiefs won 42-36 in overtime. Mahomes acknowledged Allen’s ability to perform in big moments, stating, “I have to play my best football whenever I get the opportunity to and try to put our team in the best position to succeed.”

Meanwhile, the Chiefs will be without wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who played a pivotal role in last year’s Super Bowl victory. Coach Andy Reid confirmed that Hardman, sidelined with a knee injury, will not be activated off the injured reserve list, ending his season.