After a whole year, the Chiefs and the Bills met on the gridiron last night. The AFC powerhouses fiercely battled, staying neck and neck in points throughout the entire matchup. However, it all came down to the game-winning TD, which was nullified due to Kadarius Toney’s penalty. Patrick Mahomes appeared to be visibly heated on the sidelines, but the referees had their answers ready.
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The defending champs suffered their fifth loss this season with a mere 3-point deficit. The two-time MVP was fuming on the sidelines and his teammates had to restrain him from confronting the refs. Following the matchup, Carl Cheffers had a chat with Matt Derrick, a beat writer for ChiefsDigest.
Matt asked Cheffers what the officiating crew saw that led to the offensive play getting flagged. The referee revealed that Toney lined up over the ball during his alignment, which is considered an offensive offside. He also added that it was exactly what the down judge saw in the play and precisely what was ruled.
Did Carl Cheffers Have to Warn Kadarius Toney Before the Snap?
Matt Derrick then disclosed that Chiefs HC Andy Reid had a conversation with him and expressed that it is customary to let either the head coach or the wide receiver know that the player needs to back up from the line. However, Cheffers stated that it’s only necessary if the team asks for alignment advice, and then they must take care of how the players line up.
Cheffers further added that no warnings will be issued if the player in question blocks the ball’s view from the referee. If it’s a minor issue, a warning is typically given; however, in this case, it was undoubtedly a penalty.
“So, we would give them some sort of a warning if it was anywhere close, but this particular one is beyond a warning,” Cheffers said.
Referee Carl Cheffers told @mattderrick that Kadarius Toney was so egregiously offsides that it's beyond getting a warning, which is what Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes were complaining about.
Cheffers says he was so offsides that he was blocking the officials' view of the ball. https://t.co/VXkxHjkilj pic.twitter.com/hf6PDLKS4t
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 11, 2023
Reports also suggest that the NFL will investigate what Andy Reid had commented in the post-game interview. It’s no secret that the league takes it very seriously when it comes to questioning a referee’s integrity.
#Chiefs coach Andy Reid called the officiating, "A bit embarrassing." QB Patrick Mahomes said of the refs, "Every week, we’re talking about something."
There is a long-standing policy against questioning the integrity of the refs. These will be reviewed, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 11, 2023
This play in question took place in the fourth quarter. With only 1:25 left in the clock, Mahomes found Travis Kelce in the out open. However, the star TE decided to lateral the pigskin to Toney, who rushed toward the end zone for the would-be touchdown.
