Will Anderson Jr., Joe Mixon stir conspiracy theory on referees after brutal officiating during Texans-Chiefs playoff game

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 23–14 in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. However, the win wasn’t without controversy. Texans players Will Anderson Jr. and Joe Mixon criticized the referees and claimed that unfair calls helped Kansas City.

“We knew it was going to be us against the refs going into this game," the Texans' defensive standout said after the game.

Meanwhile, Mixon pointed to a broader trend:

“Everybody knows how it is playing up here ... The whole world sees, man.”

In Saturday's Chiefs vs. Texans clash, one of the biggest complaints was a roughing-the-passer penalty on Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o, which extended a Chiefs drive and led to a TD.

However, the referee, Clay Martin, defended the decision. He explained the call saying that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was hit in the facemask while defenseless.

The defeat was a bitter pill for the Texans because their playoff hopes were dashed despite a spirited performance.

Running back Mixon ran for 88 yards, which was less than his performance the week before. Quarterback C.J. Stroud added 42 rushing yards as he tried to handle the strong pressure from the Chiefs' defense.

Kansas City players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce made big plays, which included Kelce’s 11-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. This win sent the Chiefs to their seventh straight AFC Championship Game.

Although the Texans were upset about the referees, they said their mistakes hurt their chances.

Will Anderson Jr. said:

“We gotta go out there and do us better. In some instances, we didn’t do that, and in some instances, we did...”

As the Chiefs move closer to the Super Bowl, questions about the fairness of the officiating remain.

Who will Kansas City Chiefs play in AFC Championship Game?

After finishing the season as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs had a bye week in the Wild Card Round. Following its win against the Houston Texans, Kansas City is just one game away from the AFC championship.

The team will play the Buffalo Bills or the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Both the Bills and Ravens won their wild card games easily. The Bills came from behind to beat the Broncos, with QB Josh Allen leading a strong comeback, while the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the past, the Bills have won many regular season games against the Chiefs, but when it comes to playoff games, Kansas City has won every time.

The Ravens have had a harder time against Kansas City. The latter has won five out of six games against them.