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DeMeco Ryans Echoed Blunt Phrase on Controversial Calls Favoring Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes

Multiple controversial roughing the passer calls went against the Texans.

Eva Geitheim

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
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Following the Houston Texans' 23-14 divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was asked about his thoughts on some of the controversial calls that went in favor of the Chiefs in the game.

"We knew going into this game, it was us versus everybody," Ryans told the media after the game. "When I say everybody, it's everybody. The naysayers, the doubt, everybody we had to go up against today."

During the game, the Texans were penalized for multiple questionable roughing the passer calls. The first one came in the first quarter, when Texans' Will Anderson Jr. hit Mahomes right as he was releasing the football for what was an incomplete pass. Anderson did not appear to make forceable contact with Mahomes, or do enough to warrant a 15-yard penalty. The Chiefs would go to kick a field goal instead of punt because of that call.

In the third quarter, the Texans were called for unnecessary roughness after two Texans defenders collided into each other as Mahomes slid down late.

While Ryans did not directly call out the penalties that went in favor of the Chiefs and Mahomes, many others expressed outrage. Even broadcaster Troy Aikman was clear that he did not feel like either warranted a flag.

Ultimately, Ryans took accountability for his team not executing well enough to get the win.

"Knowing going into this game what we were up against, we can't mistakes that we made," Ryans said. "We had a lot of self-inflicted mistakes that happened, special teams, not converting our kicks, not being where we're supposed to be in coverage, not protecting our quarterback and keeping him clean. You marry that on top of everything else we had to deal with, it's going to be a really tough uphill battle."

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.

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