Getty Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023.
The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the New England Patriots 27-17 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, December 17.
After the game, Patriot linebacker Matthew Judon was feeling salty. Judon, who hasn’t played since suffering a biceps injury on October 1, re-posted an AI-generated picture of Patrick Mahomes, on X, formerly known as Twitter. In the fake photo, Mahomes is passionately kissing a referee. Judon shared the photo and wrote, “I see no lies.”
While the Chiefs, and numerous other teams, have dealt with their fair share of non-calls and egregious penalties, bad officiating is not why the Patriots lost to Kansas City.
Patriots Country’s Harrison Reno wrote, “The fake photo of Mahomes obviously implies the Chiefs benefited from favorable calls came in response to a video of the defensive holding penalty called on New England during the Chiefs’ opening drive of the second half that negated a fumble recovery by Jabrill Peppers.
“The Pats clearly had a handful of jersey on the play, albeit briefly and seemingly unaffecting the outcome of the play.”
This was called for defensive holding on Alex Austin, negating a fumble recovery by Jabrill Peppers
While Patriots fans applauded the four-time Pro Bowler for complaining about Mahomes getting special treatment from the refs, Chiefs Kingdon was less than amused. One fan replied, “Chiefs did not need the refs to beat you guys lmao.” Another person posted, “Deadass thought this was a parody account lmao Grow up yall lost by 10.”
Several people pointed out the 31-year-old veteran may get fined for this kind of post. Mahomes and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid were slapped with hefty fines after criticizing the refs last week. Mahomes was ordered to pay $50,000 for his comments against the offensive offsides call on Kadarius Toney. Reid was hit with a $100,000 fine.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ Receivers Continue to Struggle
The Chiefs defeated the Patriots by multiple scores, but it wasn’t exactly pretty. Penalties, turnovers, and dropped passes continue to plague the receivers. Toney’s drop in the fourth quarter led to an interception that made Mahomes irate.
Patrick Mahomes after his pass to Kadarius Toney hits his hands and is then intercepted. 😡
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who tallied five receptions for 28 yards, had an uncharacteristic drop in the end zone. Mahomes, however, still put up respectable numbers against New England. He completed 27-of-37 passes for 305 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
The two-time Super Bowl champ’s first interception was exactly his fault, as tight end Blake Bell had the ball wrangled by Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu. CBS Sports’ Carrington Harrison posted, “Bell is the 11th best passing option on a team with bad passing options. Why is he even running routes?!”
Marte Mapu bullies the ball away from Blake Bell for the INT! 🔥🔥 #Patriots
Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore fumbled but was bailed out by the holding penalty on Patriots cornerback Alex Austin. SI’s Matt Verderame posted afterward, “That should be the last snap of Skyy Moore’s tenure with the Chiefs.”
On the bright side, Rashee Rice was once again on fire. The rookie wide receiver caught all 9 of his targets for 91 yards including a touchdown pass from running back Jerick McKinnon.
The Chiefs also showed improvement on short-down yardage thanks to their run game. Mahomes and Co. converted 7-of-11 attempts on third-and-short, The Kansas City Star reported. With Isiah Pacheco still out, Clyde Edwards-Helaire recorded 13 carries for 37 yards and four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. Mckinnon had four carries for 11 yards along with three receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown.
The Chiefs Face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16
GettyChiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023.
Kansas City’s path to winning the AFC West for the eighth consecutive year is basically clear. With the Denver Broncos (7-7) losing to the Detroit Lions in Week 15, the Chiefs (9-5) have a 93% chance of winning the division title, per ESPN’s Adam Teicher.
Up next, the Chiefs will face the Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) on Christmas Day, a team they crushed 31-17 in Week 12.