One of the more incessantly discussed topics going into the Super Bowl in New Orleans has been a rather large faction of NFL fans debating whether or not referees have played a role in benefitting the continued success of the Kansas City Chiefs.
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While it still appears to be far from any type of widespread agreement on the the topic, there have also been plenty of straightforward, reasonable takes on the matter, too.
The latest example being Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins during an appearance on Mad Dog Sports Radio with Michelle Beadle. The 25-year-old star broke things down in pretty simple terms:
"I mean, maybe one or two calls. Maybe," Collins said after Beadle asked if he's truly seeing an imbalance in the officiating. "But you gotta win. I feel like you can't put the game in the refs hands. You can't ... It what it is."
It might feel like Collins was stating the obvious here, but breaking it down in simple terms as opposed to scrutinizing every call that goes in Kansas City's favor might be the healthiest approach.
What Collins conveyed about facing the Chiefs was not unlike the winning ways that so many fans witnessed from Tom Brady and the Patriots during their record-setting seven Super Bowl victories.
Because we saw it from "TB12" time and again, and we've more or less become accustomed to seeing similar late-game heroics from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
If the game happens to be close in the fourth quarter—remember, Kansas City has won an NFL record 17 consecutive one-score games—Mahomes often finds a way to get it done, whether it's converting a incredibly crucial third down or driving his team down the field for the go-ahead score.
Come Sunday in Super Bowl 59, the Philadelphia Eagles have a great opportunity to stop a history-making three-peat by the Chiefs and maybe, just maybe, put at least a temporary end to the increasingly growing discourse regarding referee favoritism when it comes to Kansas City.
