Patrick Mahomes: NFL Refs 'Doing Their Best'; 'I Don't Feel I' Get Extra Protection

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said the controversial penalty calls made in his favor during Saturday's divisional-round win over the Houston Texans are not an indication of special treatment from referees.

When asked Wednesday if he feels he received extra protection from officials, Mahomes answered: "I don't feel that way."

"I just try to play football at the end of the day," Mahomes continued, per NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. "The referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they can."

The Texans were flagged eight times for 82 yards, while the Chiefs were penalized four times for 29 yards, in the 23-14 win that sent Kansas City to a seventh straight AFC Championship Game.

Mahomes discussed the calls Tuesday on The Drive on 96.5 The Fan (h/t Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star.)

"I've kind of learned that no matter what happens during the game, that something's going to come out about it if you win and you continue to win, so I don't really pay attention to it," Mahomes said, per Grathoff.

Mahomes continued:

" "I mean, obviously I've been on both sides of it as far as how I felt the calls were made, but at the end of the day, man, those guys are doing their best to make the best calls and keep it to where the players are making the plays in the game. And that's what decides the outcome. "

"And obviously there was a call here or there that people didn't agree with, but at the same time, I think there was a lot of other plays that really decided the outcome of that football game." "

Those penalties included a roughing-the-passer call on Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. after he hit Mahomes in the first quarter, extending a Chiefs drive that ended in a field goal.

Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o and defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi then collided with a sliding Mahomes in the third quarter, earning an unnecessary roughness penalty that extended a Chiefs touchdown drive.

Referee Clay Martin told KPRC2's Aaron Wilson after the game that the first call was due to "forcible contact to the facemask area," while the second was because Mahomes was "considered defenseless" when sliding.

"The onus is on the player," Martin said about hitting a sliding player.

To'oTo'o said after the game that he disagreed with the decision to penalize the Texans defense for hitting Mahomes as he slid.

"As soon as the quarterback leaves the pocket, he's a runner. And he gets treated as a runner, in my opinion," To'oTo'o said, per Fox Sports' Will Kunkel. "So, runners slide, and get hit, and stuff like that doesn't happen."

When asked about specific calls, Mahomes said he "probably did too much" when he appeared to exaggerate falling after getting pushed by a Texans defender.

"The ref saw it and didn't throw a flag, and I understood it immediately, and know that I probably shouldn't have done that," Mahomes said, per Grathoff.

He then added that he doesn't plan to change the way he plays.

"I was just trying to get out of the way of getting smoked by the defensive lineman running in," Mahomes said. "So I'll try to keep doing that and not take those hits, because that's the smart way to stay in the football game."

Mahomes and the Chiefs are set to face Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in Sunday's AFC Championship Game. Clete Blakeman will be serving as the head official with a trip Super Bowl LIX on the line.