What the stats say about the Kansas City Chiefs' penalties - ESPN

This NFL season was exceptional for both officiating controversy as well as the speculation surrounding the Chiefs and the idea that the NFL — in a frenzied effort to increase ratings — wanted to showcase the triumvirate of MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, premier tight end Travis Kelce and, of course, Taylor Swift, whose romance with Kelce and sightings at games became its own sideshow.

No matter the theory, part of the suspicion rested with the officiating and a perceived favoritism to all things Kansas City.

However, an ESPN analysis of penalty data showed that while the Chiefs did see some of their lowest percentages of overall game penalties in the playoffs this season, they did not benefit from fewer penalties than their opponents in the regular season.

Most of the time — 12 out of 17 games in the regular season — the officials threw more flags against the Chiefs than their opponents, according to ESPN's analysis, which included those that were declined or offset. The plays on which fans decry a missed call — which can be subjective — aren't captured in the numbers provided to ESPN.

The Chiefs were the sixth most penalized team in the NFL during the regular season, tied with the Tennessee Titans, at 126 penalties, or about 7.4 per game. That's higher than the overall regular season average of 6.8.

Another way to look at it: Officials called 95 penalties against Chiefs opponents. Only the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears saw fewer collective penalties against their opponents in the regular season. About 96% of penalties against Chiefs opponents happened before the final two minutes of a game.

An analysis of 2023 season penalty data from ESPN Stats & Information. Totals include penalties that were accepted,