The Kansas City Chiefs have much to sort out after falling short once again, dropping a 31-28 clash to the Dallas Cowboys. Penalties played a big part in their struggle to keep pace. Coach Andy Reid, however, had plenty to say about the team’s troubling penalty count.

The team was flagged 10 times for 119 yards. But during the post-game presser, the coach Reid subtly hinted that he doesn’t agree with all the calls.

“I’m not always going to agree with the call, but the calls were made,” he said.

Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie was called for 3 defensive pass interferences. And one of the calls in the final drive seemed to be questionable. It is when Trent McDuffie got called for DPI on wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, giving Dallas an easy 11-yard gain.

However, there’s a debate on whether it should have been Offensive Pass Interference on Lamb. The penalty allowed the Cowboys another first down, as quarterback Dak Prescott went on to connect with WR George Pickens for the game-sealing play.

While the Chiefs took the most hits with penalties, the Cowboys had seven for 50 yards. It seemed that Dallas was even able to escape a few calls. In the first quarter, Pickens took his helmet off on the ground after a first-down catch. While that makes a 15-yard penalty as per the rule, he wasn’t flagged during the game.

Either Pickens’ move was actually legal, or they simply missed calling it. While some pointed out that there were a few questionable calls, others have ruthlessly criticized the team on social media.

One of the mistakes was Chiefs’ wide receiver Rashee Rice dropping the pass on 3rd down. While the game review might shed light on these issues and give clarity, it won’t help the Chiefs to reverse the outcome.

While speaking of the penalties, Coach Reid further said, “Bottom line is we were having too many penalties. We got to make sure we take care of that, both sides of the ball. To get off the field on third downs, stay on the field offensively, not backing yourself up. No excuses, we will work on cleaning it up.”

The team is the sixth most penalized team this season with 96 penalties. Fans are understandably frustrated as Coach Reid seemed to be putting a Band-Aid on the sting of the loss.

Andy Reid addressed the Chiefs’ loss

The Chiefs just ruined their advantage that they had after their win over the Indianapolis Colts. With this loss in Week 13, the team further went down to 6-6 and on the edge of losing a playoff spot. However, coach Reid kept it calm while addressing the loss and their chances in the playoffs.

“The guys know, they understand we’ve got to clean up a few things. We got to do better as coaches, got to do better as players. You go back to the drawing board, and you keep working. We were close here, but we had too many opportunities that we gave away. Two good teams playing each other, you can’t have those things,” Reid said.

He took the blame for the loss.

But after the Thanksgiving loss, Chiefs fans are expecting more than this. Are the Chiefs’ playoff chances over for good? Not yet. But it is certainly fading, and with teams like the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Buffalo Bills ahead, the Chiefs could slip further in the race. As expected, the Chiefs are now in a situation where they must win to keep their playoff chances alive.

The team will face the Houston Texans in Week 14.