05 December 2023 , 15:37
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Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, showed his sportsmanship after a controversial decision in their game against the Green Bay Packers.
The Chiefs were defeated 27-19 at Lambeau Field. In the final moments of the game, Mahomes threw a deep pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but it was intercepted by Green Bay's Carrington Valentine before it even reached its target. Despite this, no penalty was given.
After the game, Mahomes said: "It is what it is, man," and "Obviously, the guy was probably a little early, but at the end of the game they're letting guys play. I'm kind of about that. I'd rather you let the guys play and let the guys win it on the field. It's a hard job, man. "When we're in that situation, I can't be wanting a flag. I have to go out there and win the game myself and with the rest of my teammates."
NFL referee Brad Allen clarified that the decision was based on the fact that the Kansas City receiver wasn't restricted. "As you may know, on every play where there may or may not be pass interference, either offensive or defensive, the covering official has to rule whether contact materially restricts the receiver," he said.
"And in this case, the covering officials were in good position and ruled that there was no material restriction that rose to the level of defensive pass interference.
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"I'm not aware that catchability was involved. The covering official simply did not feel that there was the level of contact that rose to a material restriction for defensive pass interference."
The game also saw pop superstar Taylor Swift witness a loss for Travis Kelce and the Chiefs. Until Sunday's match, Kansas City had not been beaten when Swift was present - but it was another famous couple that left Lambeau victorious.
Patrick Mahomes is an advocate for no over-policing calls in NFL games (Getty)Olympic icon Simon Biles was thrilled to see her husband Jonathan Owens and Green Bay win. She shared snaps on Instagram with the Packers safety, 28, captioning them: "Walking into Monday victorious."
Kansas City face the Buffalo Bills this Sunday, before heading off to face the New England Patriots. They'll then welcome the Los Angeles Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals to their home turf, before wrapping up their regular season with a game against divisional rival Los Angeles Chargers on January 7th.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles, who were defeated by the Chiefs in last season's Super Bowl, are currently leading the pack in the 2023 NFL season with an impressive record of 10 wins and only two losses.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]