The Kansas City Chiefs found themselves in hot water with the NFL after expressing their dissatisfaction with the officiating in their recent 20-17 defeat against the Buffalo Bills in Week 14. The controversy stemmed from an offsides penalty called on wide receiver Kadarius Toney, which nullified a potential go-ahead touchdown in the final drive of the game.

Notably, Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was visibly upset on the sidelines, and head coach Andy Reid joined him in criticizing the officiating during their postgame comments. As a result, both Reid and Mahomes have been fined by the league office, as reported by NFL Media. The exact amounts of the fines were not disclosed.

Mahomes, who was emotionally charged after the game, spoke to reporters about the frustration caused by the penalty. "It's tough to swallow," he said. "As fans, you want to see the guys on the field decide the game. That's why last week I didn't say anything about the flag that didn't get called. They're human, man. They make mistakes. But it's every week, we're talking about something."

The quarterback expressed disappointment in the officials' decision to call offensive offsides so late in the game without any prior warnings. "I've played for seven years and I've never had offensive offsides called. That's elementary school," Mahomes remarked. "There was no warning throughout the entire game. And you wait until there is a minute left in the game to make a call like that? It's tough, man."

Reid shared his frustration as well, describing the ruling as "a bit embarrassing." He emphasized that he had never experienced a situation like this in his lengthy coaching career and expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of communication from the officials. "Normally I'll get a warning before something like that happens in a big game," Reid said. "Not where, at least in that kind of position there where it is not given a heads up to."

Commissioner Roger Goodell weighed in on the controversy during the December League Meeting, stating that the officials made the correct call. "I find it a little ironic when you say attention on officiating when I think almost everybody, to my knowledge, is acknowledging that the officials were absolutely correct," Goodell commented.

The NFL has a track record of taking criticism of officials seriously, and in this case, it has resulted in fines for both Reid and Mahomes. Despite the loss, the Chiefs remain determined to move forward and focus on the upcoming games, aiming to put the officiating controversy behind them.

This incident highlights the ongoing debate surrounding officiating in the NFL and the impact it can have on the outcome of games. It serves as a reminder that even the league's top performers and coaches can find themselves at odds with the officials and face consequences for their public criticism.