Hated Ref Assigned to Chiefs' Pivotal Week 16 Game

The Kansas City Chiefs are 13-1 for the season but have yet to clinch the first-round bye. Because their only loss came against the Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs are still in danger of losing the top seed in the AFC with three games remaining on the schedule. Their toughest opponent left is the Houston Texans in Week 16. This matchup is made more difficult by Patrick Mahomes' ankle injury.

In addition to a potentially hobbled Mahomes, the Chiefs will also have to overcome a hated referee. Carl Cheffers, who has a long and tense history with the Chiefs, will be the referee on Saturday.

The last Chiefs game Cheffers officiated was a notable one. Last season, in the Week 14 matchup against the Bills, the Chiefs saw a game-winning touchdown called off because of an offside penalty to Kadarius Toney. The 49-yard score with a minute left in the game was one of the most controversial calls of the season with Mahomes and Reid heavily criticizing the referees after the game.

That wasn't even the first time the Chiefs and Cheffers butted heads. After the AFC Divisional Round loss to the Steelers in the 2016 NFL Playoffs, Travis Kelce was fined for criticizing Cheffers. The referees had called a holding penalty on left tackle Eric Fisher that called off the two-point conversion that would have tied the game with two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Kelce had said that Cheffers "shouldn't even be able to wear a zebra jersey again" or "even work at Foot Locker" after the game.

On Saturday, the Chiefs have to leave the past behind and focus on the task at hand. The Texans' pass rush going up against Mahomes on a bad ankle is worrisome on its own, the Chiefs can't be distracted by anything else.

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