Patrick Mahomes walked out with an overtime win against the Colts, 23-20, in Week 12. But the real conversation came in the second quarter when two roughing calls flipped the pace of the game. And now the league has made a double-punishment decision on the incident.

The first flag hit the Colts’ defensive tackle Grover Stewart with four minutes and 38 seconds left. The second came from Laiatu Latu with only 32 seconds to go. Both snaps ended as incomplete passes. However, each penalty pushed Kansas City forward for 21 free yards.

Then on Saturday, the league released its Gameday accountability update for Week 12. The NFL made its call on both defenders. The surprising twist was simple. Stewart avoided a fine. Latu did too. For the Colts, that felt like a break after a long week of debate. Afterward, the league pointed back to its standard rules.

Officials review plays that might violate player safety standards. A roughing call can cost a defender $17,389, and it can even jump to $23,186 if a player commits a second violation in the same season. Still, with no further punishment, Stewart and Latu now move on.

The 8-3 Colts will try to beat the Texans in Houston, and the fans in blue hope both defenders can reset the tone.

As for Mahomes, things shifted quickly. Since beating the Colts, he and the Chiefs, now 6-6, took a tough Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys. And soon after that, Mahomes raised concerns with his behavior after the Chiefs’ loss.

Patrick Mahomes raises concerns after loss

The Chiefs are staring at a rare playoff treat for the first time in more than ten years. Patrick Mahomes and co. came up short against the Cowboys. And now the weight sits heavier as the season tightens. The Athletic’s Jesse Newell explained what he saw.

“No, this wasn’t a remorseful Mahomes. This was a ticked-off one,” Newell reported. He added his view of the roster, saying, “Yes, the Chiefs might be more talented than they were a year ago, when they ran through the regular season at 15-2 and made the Super Bowl. And their ceiling could be even higher, given the moments of success that look oh-so-easy at certain points each game.”

In the post-game, Mahomes sounded firm about the standard. He reminded everyone who he believes the Chiefs still are.

“We can beat everybody, but we’ve shown that we can lose to anybody. We’ve got to be more consistent.”

The ten penalties, including five pass interference calls, made the night feel even worse for Chiefdom. Mahomes also pointed back to the small errors that keep showing up.

“That’s the kind of stuff we’ve done all year long.”

He knows the team must settle down and find the rhythm again. And that is where the concern after the loss truly starts.