In the aftermath of the Buffalo Bills’ 20-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, many have debated whether the refs made the right call when they flagged Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney for offsides — negating a what would have been a late go-ahead touchdown for Kansas City.
But according to Roger Goodell, there’s no debate, as the NFL commissioner believes the refs got it right by throwing the flag.
“There was no question about that foul,” Goodell said according to Monday Morning Quarterback’s Albert Breer. “It was absolutely the correct call.”
The play in question occurred on a 2nd and 10 from the Bills’ 49-yard line with 1:12 remaining in the game and Buffalo leading 20-17. After Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a 25-yard completion, the All-Pro tight end lateraled the ball to Toney, who proceeded to run the ball into the end zone for what appeared to be the go-ahead score.
The play, however, was nullified after the refs ruled that Toney had started the play by lining up offsides. The Chiefs proceeded to turn the ball over on downs, with Buffalo securing a three-point win to keep its playoff hopes alive.
The call in question received increased scrutiny based on the reaction from Mahomes, who was irate at the officials on the field and remained upset in his postgame press conference.
“For football in general, to take away greatness like that, for Travis to make a play like that,” Mahomes said according to KCTV5’s Jared Koller. “As fans you want to see the guys on the field decide the game… Lost for words.”
While most agreed Toney was technically offsides, some had questioned whether the officials had adequately warned the third-year wide receiver of the potential penalty throughout the game or if it was an infraction that should have been called in that particular spot. But based on Goodell’s comments, the refs got it right by going by the book.
