NFL Exec: Kadarius Toney 'Ridiculously Offsides... Easy Flag When It's That Blatant'

One NFL executive called it "an easy flag" when wide receiver Kadarius Toney lined up offside to nullify a go-ahead touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Toney found the end zone after receiving a lateral from tight end Travis Kelce, completing what would've been the play of the season. Unfortunately for Kansas City, it didn't count.

The Athletic's Mike Sando spoke to a team executive in the league who thought it was a straightforward situation.

"The line-of-scrimmage officials are in charge of the entire neutral zone — pass-rusher alignments, center head bobs, all those things," they said. "When someone aligns as ridiculously offsides as Toney did, the officials can't see in there to do their jobs. It's an easy flag when it's that blatant."

Carl Cheffers, the referee in charge for the game, was similarly blunt after the game and explained it wasn't incumbent upon the line judge to move Toney back into an onside position.

"Yes, ultimately, if they looked for alignment advice, certainly we are going to give it to them," Cheffers said. "But ultimately, they are responsible for wherever they line up. And, certainly, no warning is required, especially if they are lined up so far offsides where they're actually blocking our view of the ball."

The Chiefs didn't hide their frustration over the call.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes let the refs hear it from the sideline and was caught on the field calling the offsides penalty "f--king terrible" after the contest concluded.

Head coach Andy Reid said the penalty was "a bit embarrassing" for the NFL because in his experience an official would've alerted Toney he was offsides before the ball was snapped.

This could be a case of one moment amplifying a wider sense of exasperation.

The Chiefs have now lost four of their last six games. In particular, the offense is sputtering to a degree that Mahomes' singular greatness can't mask. Right now, Kansas City simply doesn't look like a team that will win a Super Bowl.

Mahomes, Reid and others in the building probably know deep down the Toney penalty wasn't the reason for Sunday's defeat.