For the fourth time in five years, the Buffalo Bills’ dream of making the Super Bowl comes down to a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bills have lost the previous three postseason tilts against the Chiefs, falling in the divisional round twice as well as the AFC championship game in January 2021. For the Bills to avoid being sent packing again by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and company, four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski passed along some advice to Buffalo.

“I know how the Bills can win. When they sack Patrick Mahomes, just touch him,” Gronkowski said with a chuckle on Wednesday’s episode of the Up & Adams show. “Don’t do anything more, you know. Don’t throw him too hard down on the ground—you might get a penalty.”

Gronkowski’s comments come in light of some controversy surrounding Kansas City’s 23–14 win over the Houston Texans in the divisional round on Saturday. There were two questionable roughing the passer penalties called on Houston that benefited Mahomes to the extent that referee Clay Martin had to field questions from a pool reporter after the game.

The Chiefs’ advantage in the whistles extends much further than last weekend’s win. According to ESPN, the Chiefs have been called for 30 fewer penalties than their opponents in the playoffs since 2021 and have never been flagged more than their opponents in a single postseason game over that span.

Gronkowski, of course, was a key cog in the New England Patriots dynasty as one of quarterback Tom Brady’s favorite weapons. They won three Super Bowl titles together in New England and claimed another ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Super Bowl LV.

Brady had the reputation of receiving a friendly whistle over the years, which host Kay Adams pointed out to Gronkowski amid his comments about Mahomes and the Chiefs.

“I’m allowed to say it,” Gronkowski said with a smile. “Maybe Tom isn’t allowed to say it, but I’m allowed to say it.”

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rob Gronkowski Gives Bills Advice for Dealing With Chiefs’ Friendly Whistle in Playoffs.

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