"Like is this actually allowed?", "Come on now" - Randi and Brittany Mahomes call out Bengals player for faking injury on critical play vs. Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs were on the receiving end of a 27-24 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. This was the Chiefs' third straight loss against Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
The game was an intense back-and-forth contest, with both teams matching each other point-for-point through four quarters. But the game had one moment that left Patrick Mahomes' wife Brittany and mother Randi fuming on social media.
With 3:20 left in the second quarter, the Bengals led 14-3. The Chiefs, though, were in a terrific position to cut their deficit to just four points as they lined up for a first-and-goal from Cincinnati's two-yard line.
The Chiefs were looking to line up and run a play quickly while the Bengals were making substitutions on defense to get their goalline package onto the field. Cincinnati were struggling to get the right personnel on the field and Kansas City were lining up. So free safety Jessie Bates hit the ground, seemingly faking an injury to delay proceedings, allowing the Bengals to get the right personnel onto the field.
When you fake an injury because your unit is unprepared. #ChiefsKingdom #Bengals #Chiefs https://t.co/13sM06DmJ1
The tactic worked as the referees called an injury timeout to allow the Bengals' medical staff to take a look at Bates, who exited the field without any assistance. The Bengals managed to keep the Chiefs out of the endzone for the first two downs but Mahomes found a wide-open Jerick McKinnon for a touchdown on third down.
Despite the touchdown, Mahomes' wife Brittany called out Bates for seemingly faking an injury. She tweeted:
"Like is this actually allowed?"
twitter.com/arrowheadpride…
Like is this actually allowed?😂 twitter.com/arrowheadpride…
Randi Mahomes, Patrick's mother, also voiced her frustration on Twitter, saying:
"Come on now."
Come on now twitter.com/arrowheadpride…
Jessie Bates could face suspension for faking injury vs. Chiefs
Last Friday, the NFL sent a memo to teams warning them about players faking injuries. The memo read:
"Any deliberate attempt by a team and/or player to stop play unnecessarily; prolong or delay the process; improperly take advantage of a stoppage in play; or influence the actions of an ATC Spotter will be’ considered an ‘unfair act’ and may result in discipline, in addition to any on-field penalty assessed by the Game Officials."
The memo also outlined the penalties for faking injuries:
“Clubs and individuals determined to be in violation of this rule will be subject to League discipline ‘to include a minimum fine of $350,000 for the club, a minimum fine of $100,000 for the head coach, a minimum fine of $50,000 for assistant coaches, if applicable, and a minimum fine of $50,000 for players. Please be advised that violations of this rule may also result in suspensions of persons involved, and/or the forfeiture of a draft choice(s), including for first offenses."
It remains to be seen whether the NFL believes Jessie Bates faked an injury and punishes the Bengals, their coaching staff, and the free safety for his actions. Looking at the tape it seems pretty clear that some rule must have been broken against the Chiefs on Sunday.