Chiefs HC Andy Reid breaks silence on referee bias allegations against Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs and their coach Andy Reid are gearing up to make history as they look to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls.

The Chiefs have appeared and won the last two Super Bowls, and next Sunday, they'll face the Philadelphia Eagles, whom they beat in Super Bowl LVII.

It's been no secret that fans and the football world have noticed the Chiefs benefitting from many calls and non-calls from referees in recent years.

Appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show," host Pat McAfee made a joke to Reid, asking if he heard about the meeting he has with the referees tonight.

McAfee asked Reid:

"Hey, have you heard that conversation? You know, you and the refs are meeting like, what, tonight for the Super Bowl? Is that what's happening?"

Reid, in his typical manner, gave the most Andy Reid response to McAfee's joke with a short, but serious answer. He replied:

"Listen, I try not to pay attention to any of that stuff."

With a lot of winning comes some finger-pointing. The New England Patriots' 2000-2020 dynasty saw similar accusations from some fans, that they benefited multiple times from referees during their success.

Examples of Andy Reid's Chiefs benefiting from the referees in their recent AFC Championship win against the Bills

Andy Reid during AFC Championship Game: Buffalo Bills v Kansas City Chiefs - Source: Getty

Time and time again, fans have noticed the Kansas City Chiefs benefiting from marginal decisions of referees in key moments of major games.

Here are three plays from the Chiefs' AFC Championship victory over the Buffalo Bills where the defending Super Bowl champs seemed to have gotten the benefit of the doubt:

Xavier Worthy's catch ruled a catch

In the first half on a third-and-five play, Mahomes threw a ball to wide recevier Xavier Worthy, who was in double coverage. As he came down to the ground with Cole Bishop defending him, the ball hit the ground with neither player having possession, but it was still ruled a catch.

Bills called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty

After Patrick Mahomes scored the Chiefs' third touchdown of the game, Damar Hamlin tackled him in the endzone as he crossed the goal line. To Mahomes' defense, tight end Travis Kelce got in Hamlin's face, which caused Bills' defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to intervene. Phillips and the Bills were called for an unsportsmanlike penalty as a result.

Josh Allen being ruled short of a first down

Late in the game, the Bills went for it on 4th-and-1 and used Josh Allen to try to convert a QB sneak, which is almost a guarantee for them. The ref ruled him short of the yardage to gain, and after reviewing the play, the refs awarded the Chiefs possession.

While these calls were crucial, one cannot take away the credit for their victory from the Chiefs. They played hard and fought tenaciously to win. However, whether the refs have been more lenient towards them will continue to be debated.