NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is weighing in on the controversial call that contributed to Sunday’s Buffalo Bills victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Much to the dismay of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, referees waived off a Chiefs touchdown after determining Kadarius Toney was offsides, and the Chiefs fell to the Bills 20-17, their second loss in two weeks.
Commissioner Goodell said Wednesday that he agreed with the call in Sunday’s game and said he’s “incredibly proud” of the league’s officiating this season.
“That’s their job: to call when there’s a foul. There was no question about that foul. It was absolutely the right call,” Goodell said, according to Yahoo Sports.
He continued, “If you don’t call that, obviously we would have been subject, our officials would have been subject to criticism also.”
The commissioner said he knows referees “are not perfect,” adding that “no human being is,” before praising the NFL’s officials for doing “an extraordinary job” on the field.
“I find it ironic that I’m standing here answering a question about when the officials got it right, and they’re being criticized.”
Goodell added that “everybody” in the NFL community “is acknowledging the officials were absolutely correct,” even after Mahomes was heard in video clips calling the decision the “wildest f—ing call I’ve ever seen.”
Mahomes apologized for his emotional outburst on the sidelines during an interview with Kansas City’s 610 Sports Radio on Monday. In response to a question from the show’s hosts about his sideline outburst, Mahomes said, “Obviously, you don’t want to ever react that way.”
But the Chiefs star was especially regretful about his interaction with Bills quarterback Josh Allen after the game.
Mahomes said, “But more than anything, I regret the way I acted towards Josh after the game because he had nothing to do with it. I was a little hot and emotional, but you can’t do that, man. It’s not a great example for kids watching the game, so I was more upset about that than me on the sidelines.”
Mahomes told the radio hosts that moments like his sideline outburst “happens” from time to time. “It’s the NFL. Stuff like that happens. Not every season is going to be the same.”
“I care, man. I love it. I love this game, I love my teammates, I want to go out there and put everything on the line to win. But obviously, can’t do that. Can’t be that way toward officials or really anybody in life,” he said of his emotional display after the loss.
The quarterback said his team “still has four games left” to end their season on a high note following the Chiefs’ back-to-back losses to Green Bay and Buffalo.
In the current NFL standings, the Chiefs lead the AFC West with an 8-5 record, while the Bills are in second place in the AFC East with a record of 7-6.
