Roger Goodell responds to criticism of NFL officials for Kadarius Toney penalty
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell backed NFL officials at the league’s winter meetings in Dallas when questioned about the now-famous offsides penalty on Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
"I find it ironic that I'm answering a question about the officials getting it right and they're getting criticized," Goodell said Wednesday.
The play in question happened late in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Toney appeared to line up offsides and didn’t check with the line official to make sure he was in correct position before the ball was snapped. Then tight end Travis Kelce caught a deep pass from Patrick Mahomes. Kelce took a few steps with the ball and then threw a lateral pass to an open Toney, who raced to the end zone.
The touchdown, however, was nullified by the offsides penalty called on Toney.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Mahomes were both initially upset by the flag. Reid called the decision to call a penalty “embarrassing,” and Mahomes was shown yelling on the sideline. However, after emotions of the game came down and they reviewed the game tape, both Reid and Mahomes acknowledged Toney was offsides.
“Listen, normally he (Kadarius Toney) looks over to the sideline and just gets an OK, and on that one he just happened not to, so that would be the coaching point. Make sure you check with the guy on the side just to see if you’re aligned. He’s not lining up offsides on purpose,” Reid said this week. “Listen he was two inches away from or an inch away from being legal so you can always – like I said, you can argue both sides for both teams. There were things that happened where people – it happens like that.”
Mahomes added Wednesday the team has moved on.
“I think once the game was over, and you got to sleep and came back on Monday and Tuesday, I think everyone’s mind was in the right spot,” Mahomes said. “In this league, you have to move past that stuff
The Chiefs, who are riding a two-game losing streak, take on the Patriots in New England on Sunday.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on Twitter @TheTylerDragon.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Roger Goodell responds to penalty on Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney
