Chiefs HC Andy Reid is angry at the referees for failing to alert him about Kadarius Toney’s offside: “It’s a bit embarrassing for NFL”

Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season saw the champion and runner-up teams of the last season go down to their rivals. The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs were defeated by the Buffalo Bills, and Philadelphia Eagles had to embrace a loss from their divisional rival, the Dallas Cowboys.

After digesting a loss from the Green Bay Packers due to QB Jordan Love’s dominance, the Chiefs were projected to smash the Bills on Sunday, but instead, they got the taste of disappointment. However, the defending champion team and head coach Andy Reid seemed more frustrated over a call, which potentially snatched the win from their hand.

Andy Reid criticizes NFL officials over Kadarius Toney’s offside

The Week 14 match between the Chiefs and the Bills left Chiefs fans and players reeling after a game-changing offside call robbed the defending champion of a potential game-winning touchdown. The incident occurred in the dying moments of the match when wide receiver Kadarius Toney appeared to score a touchdown following an incredible lateral from tight end Travis Kelce.

However, the happy moment turned to dismay as officials flagged the WR for lining up offside, and nullified the play, which dismissed the Chiefs’ hopes of a late lead.

The aftermath of the controversial call saw quarterback Patrick Mahomes visibly irate on the sidelines as he vehemently contested the decision with officials. He expressed his disbelief at the call by highlighting the rarity of such an offensive offside penalty in his career.

The signal-caller lamented the absence of any prior warnings throughout the game and criticized the timing of the call while highlighting its impact on the game’s outcome.

“I’ve played seven years [and] never had offensive offside called. That’s elementary school [stuff] we’re talking about. There was no warning throughout the entire game. Then you wait until there’s a minute left in the game to make a call like that? It’s tough. Lost for words. It’s tough. Regardless if we win or lose, just the end of another game and we’re talking about the refs. It’s just not what we want for the NFL and for football.”

Even Andy Reid echoed Pat’s sentiments, expressing surprise at the lack of warning before such a crucial call. He shed light on the unusual nature of the situation and its perceived embarrassment in the context of professional football, per SI.com.

“Usually I get a warning before something like that happens. A bit embarrassing in the National Football League for that to take place. … I didn’t have a protractor out there, but a bit embarrassing.”

The aftermath of the incident saw the Chiefs, reeling from the overturned touchdown, face a pivotal fourth-down situation on their last offensive play, which led to a turnover on downs and their fifth loss of the season.

CBS employees’ deleted tweets shows Kadarius Toney consulted the refs

Following the controversial call in Week 14, Referee Carl Cheffers defended the call, suggesting Toney hadn’t sought acknowledgement from the official before lining up. CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore also supported the penalty by citing the blatant nature of the infraction.

The analyst emphasized the balance between leniency and enforcement along the line of scrimmage, saying while minor infractions might be overlooked, blatant violations demand penalty flags.

“When officiating the line of scrimmage, general philosophy is not to be overly technical and split hairs over very minor infractions (such as a receiver’s hand slightly breaking the LOS). However, when an infraction is so egregious and obvious, a flag has to be thrown.”

Despite receivers rarely being called for offsides, Steratore deemed the WR’s positioning as an egregious enough violation to warrant the penalty.

“Kadarius Toney is blatantly lined up offside and in the neutral zone. You rarely see an offsides penalty on the offense, but that is not because this play in #BUFvsKC isn’t a foul. It is because a receiver rarely lines up offsides.”

Meanwhile, Josh Cohen, a CBS employee, in a now-deleted tweet sparked a new speculation by confirming Toney gesturing towards the sideline, although he couldn’t verify whether the official responded to Toney’s action.

“For what it’s worth- I can confirm that Kadarius Toney looked to the sideline and pointed ( as he lined up). I cannot comment whether the official acknowledged or signaled for him to move back.”

Another CBS employee Tracy Wolfson retweeted Josh’s tweet and wrote, “I can confirm that he can confirm this.”

The loss against the Bills in Week 14, cut the Chiefs AFC West lead to one game over the Denver Broncos. They are now heading into a road game with the New England Patriots in Week 15.