Patrick Mahomes is admitting he crossed a line with his controversial flop in the Chiefs' playoff matchup against the Texans this past weekend ... saying he "probably shouldn't have done that."

The three-time Super Bowl MVP was asked about the viral moment from the defending champions' 23-14 win over Houston during his appearance on 96.5 The Fan's "The Drive" on Wednesday ... and he owned up to his actions.

"I would say the only one I felt like I probably did too much was the one on the sideline where I didn’t get the flag," the 29-year-old said. "The ref saw it and didn’t throw a flag, I understood it immediately and know that I probably shouldn’t have done that."

Mahomes did defend himself in another instance that raised eyebrows after he drew an unnecessary roughness penalty ... claiming he did what he had to do in order to avoid getting "smoked" and potentially injuring himself.

As for the chatter about getting favorable calls, Mahomes said he doesn't pay any attention to it ... as people are going to talk no matter what happens on the field.

Mahomes added he feels the refs are doing their best jobs ... and one call didn't affect the outcome of Saturday's game.

After Wednesday's comments, it'll be interesting to see if No. 15 makes any notable changes to his game as he tries to lead his squad to the Big Game yet again.