Cris Collinsworth found himself under the microscope again during Sunday Night Football, and this time it was one Patrick Mahomes pass that lit the fuse.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ 33-30 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts had plenty going on, but the moment that really caught fire came late in the fourth quarter. On third-and-5, Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner got both hands on a Mahomes throw and still couldn’t haul in the interception. Collinsworth’s call turned the near-pick into a compliment for Mahomes’ arm strength, and that didn’t sit well with viewers.
“Mahomes threw it so hard Sauce couldn’t catch it!” Collinsworth said on the broadcast.
Fans quickly pushed back, arguing the play looked more like a missed interception than some kind of Mahomes highlight. “Cris Collinsworth gives CREDIT to Patrick Mahomes for throwing the ball so hard that it couldn’t be intercepted.
Like cmon dude the glaze,” one fan wrote. “Seriously, can Chris Collinsworth and Patrick Mahomes get a room already!”
another fan joked. “Leave it to Cris Collinsworth to find a way to glaze Patrick Mahomes for throwing a pass that was nearly picked off,” a third fan offered.
“Cris Collinsworth every time Patrick Mahomes does ANYTHING at all,” a fourth account declared as a caption to a popular meme.
The backlash didn’t come out of nowhere. Collinsworth had already drawn criticism from viewers earlier in the season, including after Week 1 when fans took issue with how he handled Sam Darnold’s hip injury on air. The Week 2 reaction just kept that conversation going.
Mahomes, meanwhile, has been a constant talking point as he works back from his knee injury. After a recent win, he told Chiefs owner Tavia Hunt that he felt good being back on the field, and cameras caught that moment during Kansas City’s Monday night victory over the Broncos.
The Chiefs moved to 2-0 with the overtime win in Indianapolis and now turn to the Miami Dolphins next Sunday.
In Other News...
Colts Fans Wont Love What Mahomes Said After That Overtime Call
The Colts left Kansas City with a 33-30 overtime loss that will linger, and not just because Harrison Butker ended it with a final field goal. The game swung on a crucial fumble call against Indianapolis that was overturned after replay review, a ruling that changed the tone of the night and gave the Chiefs a break they needed as Patrick Mahomes kept the offense moving.
Mahomes certainly noticed the break, and he did not try to hide how much it helped. After the game, he addressed the reversal with relief and a little humor, a reaction that Colts fans probably wont appreciate given how much that sequence shaped the outcome. On the field, he was sharp enough to capitalize, finishing 32 of 47 for 382 yards and three touchdowns to help Kansas City escape with the win. [Read more 🡒]
Mahomes Weighed In On The Colts Call Everyone Is Arguing About
The overtime sequence between the Chiefs and Colts had enough drama on its own, but Patrick Mahomes added another layer afterward by weighing in on the officiating decision that had plenty of people talking. The Chiefs quarterback said he was relieved the play was not ruled a fumble against Kansas City, knowing full well how quickly a controversial call can take over the conversation once fans get on social media.
Mahomes also pointed to the bigger issue any time a game ends with a disputed judgment call: teams still have to settle it on the field. For the Colts, that leaves the frustration of a heated moment hanging around longer than they would like, especially in a game that turned on a decision everyone seemed to have an opinion about. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Were Nearly Burned By A Brutal Overtime Rules Mistake
The Colts came dangerously close to turning a routine overtime coin toss into a self-inflicted mess before the extra period even began. Captain Cam Bynum initially said defer, a choice that is not available in overtime, and the moment briefly gave Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs a chance to press their case with the referee before the situation was sorted out.
In the end, the ref went back to Bynum to clarify the decision, and the Colts settled on starting on defense, which meant kicking off to begin overtime. Mahomes later acknowledged he was trying to take advantage of the miscue, a small but telling reminder that in the NFL, even the rules at the coin toss can become part of the strategy. [Read more 🡒]