Troy Aikman, a veteran now working as a commentator during the playoffs, wasn’t shy about speaking his mind during the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans. In the third quarter, when a penalty was called after two opposing players appeared to hit Patrick Mahomes, Aikman voiced his criticism.
Aikman directly criticized the penalty that benefited the Chiefs, pointing out that Mahomes was a runner and no longer had the special protection given to quarterbacks. “Oh, come on. I mean he’s a runner and I could not disagree with that one more.” He also mentioned that the replay clearly showed the hit wasn’t significant, saying, “He barely gets hit.”
That wasn’t the only controversial penalty in the game, which the Chiefs eventually won. In the first quarter, Texans defender Will Anderson Jr. came at Mahomes with his arms wide open and was flagged for a ‘high hit.’
In addition to Troy Aikman, Russell Yurk also made a fiery comment about the third-quarter penalty, saying, “The two Houston players hit each other. That should not have been a foul.” The replay clearly shows both players colliding with each other and barely making contact with Mahomes.
Troy Aikman calls for a review of the rules
One statement that could be seen as a message to the NFL came from Aikman when he said, “They’ve gotta address it in the offseason…” Although he didn’t directly refer to a specific rule, it seems he was pointing to the special protection that quarterbacks receive from referees.
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The Chiefs’ defensive line stood out
A notable aspect of the Chiefs’ performance was their protection of Mahomes on the offensive line. He was sacked just three times for a loss of only 15 yards—an important factor that allows him to play his game effectively, both in and out of the pocket.
