The Kansas City Chiefs advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the seventh straight season after a 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium. Although the defending champions were heavy favorites to win the game, the win was marred by controversy due to several questionable refereeing calls that went in favor of the Chiefs.
Two 15-yard penalties against the Texans at critical points in the game became major talking points. But three times Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth believes those calls overshadowed how exceptionally well the Chiefs' defense and special teams played against Houston.
During an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Monday, he said:
•
“I have a lot of respect for the Kansas City Chiefs. A personal foul and a quarterback delay didn't give them up (Houston Texans).
Want to predict NFL playoff scenarios? Try ours NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
“It wasn't because of the lack of attention to detail on special teams and the blocked field goal and the return and all of that. Kansas City just puts you in a position to make mistakes.”
Mark Schlereth pays tribute to DC Commander Steve Spagnuolo
The Texans had an opportunity to cut the Chiefs' lead to three points late in the fourth. However, instead of sitting back and protecting the end zone, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo applied all-out pressure for five consecutive plays.
The defense sacked the player CJ Stroud on back-to-back plays, forcing Houston to settle for a field goal attempt, linebacker Leo Chanel made a block at the line of scrimmage, effectively ending the game.
Mark Schlereth praised Spagnuolo's play and claimed that his courage and the players' trust in him made it difficult to beat the Chiefs. He said:
“I go back to Steve Spagnuolo. He hit five straight games and said, 'Hey, man, if I blitz, I have a lot of faith in the guys that they can get there.' their ability to cover the back end of that thing that we're just going to go after the quarterback and go get him. The main thing is that the Chiefs just find ways to go out and win.”
Kansas City is just two wins away from an unprecedented third Super Bowl win, and crossing the finish line won't be easy, but few would bet against them.
Edited by Brad Taningco