Chiefs' Secret Weapon? Referees and Mahomes' Unbeaten Streak!
Kansas City, Mo - Is there a secret ingredient to the Kansas City Chiefs' success? Some NFL conspiracy theorists might point to referee Clay Martin. The veteran official is set to oversee the Chiefs' crucial AFC showdown against the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. But here's the kicker: the Chiefs have *never* lost a game with Martin officiating during the Patrick Mahomes era!
Mahomes and Martin: An Unstoppable Duo?
Since Mahomes took the reins as the Chiefs' starting quarterback in 2018, Martin has officiated seven Chiefs games. The result? A perfect 7-0 record for Kansas City, according to NFLPenalties.com. This includes:
- A dominant 28-10 victory over the Oakland Raiders in 2019.
- Thrilling home wins against Carolina (33-31) and Cleveland in the 2020 divisional playoffs (22-17).
- A solid 33-27 road victory against Miami in 2020.
- The Chiefs' international triumph over Miami in Germany during the 2023 season (21-14).
- A narrow 19-17 home win against Las Vegas and a 23-14 home victory over the Houston Texans in the divisional playoffs.
Intriguingly, after the Chiefs' initial four-game winning streak with Martin officiating (2019-20), the NFL didn't schedule him for another Chiefs game for two whole seasons (2021-22). Did the league notice the trend and try to break the magic?
Ravens' Referee Luck: Not So Good
While the Chiefs seem to thrive under Martin's watch, the Baltimore Ravens' experience is quite different. Martin's crew has officiated three Ravens games in recent seasons, and Baltimore has lost all three. This includes an 18-16 loss to Pittsburgh in 2024 and a 24-17 defeat against Cincinnati in 202*. Will the trend continue this Sunday? The Ravens will certainly be hoping not!
All eyes will be on Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday to see if Patrick Mahomes and Clay Martin can continue their undefeated streak, or if the Ravens can break the curse.