Mahomes livid, Reid calls flag on negated TD vs. Bills 'embarrassing'
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid called it "embarrassing" that NFL officials elected to call a penalty on a potential game-winning touchdown in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
"It's a bit embarrassing for the National Football League for that to take place," Reid told reporters postgame, including ESPN's Adam Teicher.
The Chiefs appeared to have a go-ahead score after Travis Kelce threw a lateral pass to Kadarius Toney, who ran into the end zone. However, Toney was ruled to be offside before the play, voiding the touchdown.
Reid added that he's typically given a warning before penalties like the one called are applied, though referee Carl Cheffers said postgame that "if it's egregious enough, it would be beyond a warning."
Play was called back but can't believe Kelce tried this
- NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2023
: #BUFvsKC on CBS
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The penalty was as close as the Chiefs would come to scoring on their final drive. Patrick Mahomes threw incomplete passes on his next three attempts, resulting in a turnover on downs. The star signal-caller was animated on the sideline following the drive.
Frustration appears to be growing for Patrick Mahomes pic.twitter.com/0z48D67jKL
- NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) December 11, 2023
Mahomes says he asked three officials for an explanation on the Toney offside call but failed to receive one.
"I've played seven years in the National Football League and never had offensive offsides called," the quarterback said, according to Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star.
"Let us play the game," he added.
The league will review Reid's and Mahomes' comments about the officiating, a source told Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
It's the second time in as many weeks that the Chiefs have been on the receiving end of controversial officiating decisions. The referees were also under scrutiny after Kansas City's Week 13 loss to the Green Bay Packers. No pass interference was called on a Packers defensive back making contact with Marquez Valdes-Scantling as the latter was going for a long pass from Mahomes.
The Chiefs scored 10 unanswered points in the second half to tie the game at 17. But Josh Allen engineered a 12-play, 48-yard drive that put the Bills in position for Tyler Bass' decisive 39-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining.
Mahomes finished the day with 271 yards for one score and one interception. Meanwhile, Allen threw for 233 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception.
The Chiefs, who have now dropped two in a row, are 8-5 following the loss.
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