What's being lost in the Chiefs' officiating complaints: Kadarius Toney really was offsides

In the waning moments of Sunday's Chiefs vs. Bills game, head coach Andy Reid believed officials should have warned Kansas City before wideout Kadarius Toney was given a penalty for being offsides. After losing 20-17, Reid called it "a bit embarrassing" for the league.

Patrick Mahomes, who melted down to the officials on the sideline and continued his rant after the game, even when shaking hands with Josh Allen, didn't think a penalty should have been called in that situation.

There's something important missing in all the Chiefs' angst about the officiating after the loss: The officials got the call right. Toney was offsides. It's almost impossible to argue otherwise.

Here's the overhead shot, via Jonathan Jones of CBS:

The ball is behind the 48-yard line, and Toney is ahead of the 48-yard line. A penalty was called.

The Chiefs were angry about an untimely offsides penalty that wiped out a great touchdown on a cross-field lateral from Travis Kelce to Toney that would have given them the lead. Maybe they should spend more time blaming the player who didn't line up right.

Officiating experts agree: It's a penalty

If your eyes see something different than Toney lining up offsides, two officiating experts and former NFL officials agreed that it was a penalty.

Here's Gene Steratore of CBS:

And Terry McAulay of NBC:

The penalty wiped out a magnificent play in which Kelce found Toney for the score. It would have been perhaps the play of the year. But it was a penalty and ultimately didn't count. That happens.

Yet we have a respected head coach in Reid calling the officials out for not giving the Chiefs a free pass for their first violation.

"I never use any of this as excuses, but normally I get a warning before something like that happens in a big game," Reid said. "[It's] a bit embarrassing in the National Football League for that to take place."

And then whatever Mahomes was ranting about.

“That’s a Hall of Fame tight end making a Hall of Fame play that won’t be shown because [they] threw a flag for offensive offsides,” Mahomes said, via Fox 59. “It takes away from, not only this game, this season, but from a legendary career that Travis has had. That hurts me because I know how hard he works for it.”

Not too much complaining about Toney himself lining up wrong. And the Chiefs should know better.

Chiefs benefited from a big call in the Super Bowl

There was a freakout at the end of last season's Super Bowl for a penalty being called a penalty. Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry had a hold on receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster that was so obvious, even Bradberry said he held the receiver. It was a key spot in the game, a big third down on the Chiefs' final drive. The argument for many was that it shouldn't have been called in that spot. But, it was also complaining about an obvious penalty being called a penalty.

Officials have gotten a lot of criticism this season, and rightfully so. There have been some huge missed calls and non-calls that have changed the outcomes of games. Maybe someone should have warned Reid or Toney before the play in question. But in this particular controversy, one key point should be made as everyone complains about NFL officiating for yet another week.

The officials got this call right.