Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is raising some eyebrows after making post-game comments that could be construed as shots against NFL officiating.
After the Texans' 23-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round, NFL Insider Ari Meirov reports, "DeMeco Ryans on the officiating: "We knew going into this game, man, that it was 'Us vs. Everybody' and when I say everybody — it's everybody."
DeMeco Ryans on the officiating: "We knew going into this game, man, that it was 'Us vs. Everybody' and when I say everybody — it's everybody."
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Ryans didn't directly criticize the officiating but made his frustration clear, suggesting that the referees had a noticeable bias toward the Chiefs. Ryans implied that his team had to fight not only against the defending Super Bowl champions but also against a system that seemed to favor them, particularly in terms of penalty calls.
Two controversial penalties stood out in the game: a roughing the passer flag on Texans defensive end Will Anderson and a late-hit penalty on linebacker Henry To'oTo'o after Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes slid late.
Replays showed that To'oTo'o's contact was more with a teammate than with Mahomes, making the penalty seem even more questionable. These calls led to 10 points for Kansas City, a crucial factor in their victory.
When asked about the penalties in his postgame press conference, Ryans didn't blame the officials outright, but his choice of words made it clear that he believed the calls played a significant role in the outcome.
Ryans acknowledged the Texans' own mistakes—missed field goals, defensive lapses, and poor protection of quarterback C.J. Stroud—but he pointed out that these errors were compounded by the feeling that his team was facing more than just the Chiefs' offense.
His comments painted a picture of a game where Houston had to overcome not just their own shortcomings but also what he perceived as an uphill battle against the officials.
Though Ryans didn't outright accuse the refs of deliberately helping the Chiefs, his remarks were telling.
Kansas City, one of the NFL's most popular and financially influential teams, has long been a beneficiary of favorable calls, a point Ryans subtly underscored with his comments.
His frustration reflected a growing sentiment that smaller-market teams like the Texans are often placed at a disadvantage when it comes to officiating, especially in high-stakes playoff games.
Ryans was careful to say that his team needed to perform better to win, but his comments about the officiating made it clear that, in his view, the calls on Saturday didn't just add to the difficulty—they made an already tough task nearly impossible.
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