Kansas City’s DeAndre Hopkins responded to theories about the Chiefs getting aided by officials after their Super Bowl loss to the Eagles on Sunday.
In the leadup to the NFL season finale, the then-defending champions were linked to theories claiming they were getting aided by referees toward a three-peat.
The whispers stemmed from the Chiefs, as they have throughout the season, benefiting from controversial and close calls until the playoffs.
After Sunday’s, 22-40 loss to the Eagles in New Orleans, Hopkins flipped the barrel on reporters, claiming questionable calls favored the Eagles’ dominant performance.
‘You know I saw a lot of things in the media about the refs,’ Hopkins said. ‘What ya’ll gonna say now about the refs and us when there was a lot of touchy calls?’
‘Are ya’ll gonna report that? Are ya’ll gonna talk about the refs now?’
Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins slams the referees after losing the Super Bowl
DeAndre Hopkins talks about some of the calls in Super Bowl LIX pic.twitter.com/LlyYp2rHBt
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Hopkins did not pinpoint the specific plays, nor did he appear to be on the receiving end of those calls. However, there was a pair of personal fouls called against Kansas City that divided the fanbase.
The first call happened on Philadelphia’s first touchdown drive midway through the first period. On a third-and-5, Jalen Hurts targeted тιԍнт end Dallas Goedert, who collided with KC’s Trent McDuffie in the air.
While the contact was nothing more than a graze to Goedert’s helmet, his head snapped back and McDuffie was called for unnecessary roughness.
Another happened right before halftime when a personal foul turned a would-be-third-and-26 into a first down for Philadelphia. Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton made contact with Saquon Barkley after an incomplete pᴀss.
The egregious contact came as Bolton’s momentum drove him toward shoving Barkley to the turf.
That penalty Philadelphia at first-and-ten at their own 44 with 2:25 left in the half. However, they didn’t convert the penalty into a touchdown this time.
Instead, they punted four plays later with 1:56 remaining before halftime.
Nonetheless, Philadelphia shut the Chiefs down completely, suffocating Patrick Mahomes and the offense in a defensive masterpiece. The Eagles led the dance, 24-0, at halftime with Hurts finding more success than his Chiefs counterpart right off the gates.
While some questioned the officiating, the Eagles left no doubt and spoiled the Chiefs’ attempt at a historic feat.
