On Sunday, December 17, the Kansas City Chiefs secured a 27-17 victory against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
Following the game, Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon, sidelined since October 1 due to a biceps injury, expressed his discontent.
Taking to Twitter, Judon reposted an AI-generated image depicting Patrick Mahomes passionately kissing a referee, captioning it with a succinct, “I see no lies.”
While acknowledging the Chiefs and other teams’ experiences with controversial calls and penalties, it’s essential to note that the Patriots’ loss wasn’t solely attributed to officiating.
Harrison Reno of Patriots Country highlighted that the post was a reaction to a video showcasing a defensive holding penalty against New England, nullifying a fumble recovery by Jabrill Peppers.
Reno added, “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 pic.twitter.com/JdfdUXRZ8O
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) December 17, 2023
Despite some Patriots fans supporting Judon’s critique of Mahomes receiving favorable treatment, Chiefs Kingdom responded with skepticism.
One fan retorted, “Chiefs did not need the refs to beat you guys lmao,” while another suggested, “Deadass thought this was a parody account lmao Grow up y’all lost by 10.”
Concerns arose about potential fines for Judon, given recent penalties imposed on Mahomes and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid for criticizing referees.
Mahomes faced a $50,000 fine for comments against an offensive offsides call on Kadarius Toney, while Reid incurred a $100,000 fine.
In a separate narrative, despite the Chiefs’ multiple-score victory against the Patriots, challenges persisted.
Penalties, turnovers, and dropped passes continued to afflict the receiving corps, with a notable drop by Travis Kelce in the end zone.
Mahomes, however, delivered a solid performance, completing 27-of-37 passes for 305 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Notable moments included a rare interception attributed to a tight end, Blake Bell, and a fumble by receiver Skyy Moore, saved by a holding penalty.
Rookie Rashee Rice shone once again, catching all nine of his targets for 91 yards, including a touchdown pass from running back Jerick McKinnon.
Looking ahead, the Chiefs aim to secure their eighth consecutive AFC West title. With the Denver Broncos’ Week 15 loss to the Detroit Lions, the Chiefs (9-5) now boast a 93% chance of winning the division title, according to ESPN’s Adam Teicher.
The Chiefs’ upcoming challenge is a Christmas Day clash with the Las Vegas Raiders (6-8), a team they convincingly defeated 31-17 in Week 12.