Mahomes, Reid Likely To Be Fined After Chiefs Blame NFL Officials For 'Embarrassing' Call That Was Ultimately Correct| Armando Salguero
Officiating in the NFL has generally lost so much credibility that when Patrick Mahomes went bonkers on the Kansas Chiefs sideline late Sunday afternoon, yelling at a nearby sideline official over what we later saw was on offsides penalty on the Chiefs, we kind of all thought the officials blew it.
Again.
Admit it, the best player in the game blows a gasket, which typically doesn't happen, so it had to be the refs blowing a call, which kind of happens a lot.
Even Mahomes Admits Call Was Correct
Except, the officials in this case were not wrong.
Kadarius Toney was indeed offside as the down judge ruled when he threw his flag.
The Chiefs wide receiver was so far into the neutral zone, the down judge couldn't see the ball in the center's hand. Every angle showed it was offside and even Mahomes agreed his teammate was offside.
"I mean I saw the picture; he probably is barely offsides," Mahomes admitted after the game. "But for him to take the game into his hands over a call like that doesn’t affect the play at all – at all. (It) didn’t affect anything."
So Mahomes is making the point Toney being offsides shouldn't be called offsides because it didn't affect the play, in his opinion. The quarterback is basically saying Toney grabbing maybe one small step didn't affect his ability to get downfield and be in position to catch a lateral from tight end Travis Kelce to complete a 49-yard Mahomes-to-Kelce-to-Toney touchdown with 1:25 to play.
That play would have given the Chiefs a 23-17 lead with an extra point pending. But the penalty wiped out the score and three Mahomes incompletions later, the Bills won the game 20-17.
Mahomes was so upset by the whole thing he carried his emotions to his postgame handshake with Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Mahomes And Reid Upset By Offsides Call
"Wildest call I've ever seen," Mahomes said as he embraced Allen for a moment. "Offensive offside in that moment, man. terrible."
And then Chiefs coach Andy Reid joined the chorus of disgust in his postgame press conference. The coach's major beef also was not that the call was wrong. He was upset officials didn't warn him about his player not knowing where to line up per the rules.
"While I never use any of this as excuses, normally I get a warning before something like that happens in a big game," Reid said. "(It’s) a bit embarrassing in the National Football League for that to take place.
“Normally, yeah, if it’s even close you get a warning. The head coach gets a warning, I mean that normally – I don’t know, I didn’t have a protractor out there. But it’s a bit embarrassing."
And, honestly, this is where it looks embarrassing for the Chiefs rather than the officials.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - DECEMBER 10: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts with Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Chiefs Complaining About Correct Call A Bad Look
Both Reid, who has won Super Bowls, and Mahomes, the face of the league and State Farm, are wrong.
Toney was offsides. And a receiver being offside is not only against the rules, but it's dumb.
And NFL officiating crews are calling it this year. They've called it 12 times so far this season compared to 2 last season.
So it's a rule and it's a thing.
"It’s one of those things we don’t want to be overly technical on, but when in his alignment he’s lined up over the ball, that’s something that we are going to call as offensive offside," referee Carl Cheffers told the pool reporter after the game. "So that’s what the down judge saw. He saw that the alignment was over the ball and that’s what he ruled on the field. That’s what he called."
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - DECEMBER 10: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on during the second half of the game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Fines Likely Coming For Reid And Mahomes
So was Reid correct to complain that normally officials give a head coach a heads up?
"If they looked for alignment advice, certainly we are going to give it to them," Cheffers said. "But ultimately, they are responsible for wherever they line up. And, certainly, no warning is required, especially if they are lined up so far offsides where they’re actually blocking our view of the ball.
"So, we would give them some sort of a warning if it was anywhere close, but this particular one is beyond a warning."
And then we go back to Mahomes. He took his complaints about the play to his presser.
“It’s not even for myself or for me, it’s just I know how much everybody puts into this game and for it to happen on a flag, change the outcome of a game, in that moment – I’ve played seven years and never had that – never had offensive offsides called, I mean that’s elementary school," Mahomes said.
This is where we have to make the point all this talking is done soon after a close, tough game between outstanding teams. And the players and coaches are definitely still worked up.
So maybe when Reid and Mahomes calm down they'll understand they're fighting an uphill battle -- one they're likely to incur fines for. And they're arguing against a call that was ultimately correct.