Chiefs catch break on crucial 1st-half play in AFC Championship; fans wonder if refs got it right

The Kansas City Chiefs received a favorable call late in the first half of the AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

On 3rd-and-5 with 3:13 left in the second quarter, Patrick Mahomes scrambled and found just enough space to throw up a ball to Xavier Worthy. The rookie wide receiver and Bills safety Cole Bishop both leaped for the ball. It appeared Bishop may have gotten the ball while he was in the air, but Worthy managed to get his arm around it as they came down the ground.

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The officials ruled that Worthy had completed the catch, and it was the Chiefs’ ball instead of an interception for the Bills. Buffalo was also called for a holding penalty, so it was unlikely the ball would have gone back to them.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott challenged whether it was a completed catch. The replay appeared to show the tip of the football hitting the ground. But still, the play was ruled a catch.

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A few plays later, the Chiefs scored on a Patrick Mahomes touchdown run. Kansas City had a 21-10 lead.

NFL fans were quick to point out that the questionable call went in the favor of the Chiefs.

NFL officials’ alleged favoritism toward the Chiefs was in the spotlight over questionable calls in their divisional round win over the Houston Texans.

Mahomes was asked about the alleged favoritism during the week.

"I don’t feel that way," he said. "… I just try to play football at the end of the day. The referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and proper as best they can.

"For me, it's go out there, play hard, try to do whatever I can to win the football game and then live with the results based on my effort and how I play the game, and that's what we preach here in Kansas City."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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