Texans Fall Short in the Playoffs, Due in Part to Penalties
The Houston Texans’ hopes of advancing in the playoffs were dashed after a disappointing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, with penalties playing a significant role in the outcome. The Texans had eight penalties accepted against them for 82 yards, while the Chiefs had four accepted against them for 29 yards, a negative four-margin.
According to referee Clay Martin, the roughing the passer penalty called on Anderson in the third quarter was due to “forcible contact to the facemask area.” Martin also cited another penalty for unnecessary roughness, resulting in a touchdown catch by Travis Kelce.
While the Texans were vocal about their frustrations with the officiating, they acknowledged that their performance was plagued by mistakes on both sides of the ball. Their investigation revealed a litany of issues, including a failure to convert kicks, poor defensive coverage, and failure to protect their quarterback.
Additionally, quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked eight times, and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed two kicks, including a field goal attempt that was blocked. The special teams unit struggled as well, allowing a 63-yard kickoff return and committing a fumble on the play.
The penalties, mistakes, and overall poor performance left head coach DeMeco Ryans feeling discouraged, stating, “This one hurts, right? Because I know we’re better football team than we showed today, no matter who we’re playing against.”
