Cris Collinsworth Faces Backlash for Praising Patrick Mahomes' Fumble Recovery

During the Week 3 Sunday Night Football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants, NBC commentator Cris Collinsworth praised Patrick Mahomes for his effort in recovering a backwards pass that nearly resulted in a turnover and touchdown for the Giants. Collinsworth highlighted Mahomes' quick recognition that the pass was backwards and his hustle to wrestle the ball back from Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke, calling it a "turnover created by Patrick Mahomes." However, many NFL fans criticized Collinsworth for downplaying Mahomes' initial poor decision to throw the backwards pass, finding the praise excessive and overlooking the mistake. Social media reactions ranged from disbelief to humor, with some fans viewing Collinsworth's commentary as favoritism or even sarcastic. Despite the controversy, Collinsworth will continue to call Mahomes' games on Sunday Night Football. The episode underscores ongoing debates about commentator bias and the interpretation of player mistakes versus effort plays.