Patrick Mahomes could force NFL to create flopping rule — with one play being scrutinized

NFL officials were heavily scrutinized for some of the flags they threw in the four divisional-round games that saw the Chiefs, Bills, Eagles and Commanders advance to next weekend’s conference championships.

Yet, it was one play that didn’t draw a flag that could prove a most consequential non-call if the NFL decides to join the NBA and NHL in seriously cracking down on floppers, as ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman suggested during the Texans-Chiefs game.

NFL players can be penalized for the big umbrella “unsportsmanlike conduct” infraction, but there isn’t an official rule against flopping, and Aikman urged the league to address that during one of his several conversations with Joe Buck over the officiating in the Chiefs’ 23-14 victory.

On the same possession where he benefited from his late slide that caused two Texans players to crash into each other, drawing a widely panned unnecessary roughness flag, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes appeared to try to deke referee Clay Martin’s officiating crew into throwing another flag to aid Kansas City’s drive, which ended with a touchdown that put the Chiefs up by eight in the fourth quarter.

Scrambling to his left, Mahomes pulled up just as he went out of bounds. When linebacker Henry To’oTo’o tapped him, Mahomes threw himself dramatically to the ground but failed to fool the officials — or impress Aikman, the Hall of Fame quarterback who earlier took umbrage at the roughing-the-passer call against Houston.

“He’s trying to draw the penalty. Rather than just run out of bounds, he slows down,” Aikman protested. “And that’s been the frustration, and I get it. I understand it. That’s been the frustration for these defensive players around the league.”