Goodell backs officials after Toney call: They do an 'extraordinary job'
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell went to bat for league officials in light of controversy surrounding Sunday's offside call on Kansas City Chiefs wideout Kadarius Toney, which wiped out a potential game-winning touchdown.
"That’s their job, to call when there’s a foul," Goodell said Wednesday, according to Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams. "There was no question about that foul. It was absolutely the right call. If you don't call that, obviously, we would have been subject, our officials would have been subject to criticism also."
Goodell admitted the referees aren't perfect but said they do an "extraordinary job."
The Chiefs appeared to score a go-ahead touchdown late in last Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills when Travis Kelce lateraled the football to Toney, who scampered in for the score. However, the touchdown was called off, as Toney was flagged for being offside. Replays showed the wideout was over the line of scrimmage at the snap.
The flag caused an initial stir among the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes being caught jawing at officials on the sideline. Head coach Andy Reid also called the penalty "embarrassing" for the league, explaining that typically he is given a warning on offensive offside calls.
Mahomes later apologized, while Reid acknowledged that Toney did not consult officials to check if he was onside prior to the snap.
"I find it ironic that I’m standing here answering a question about (when) the officials got it right, and they're being criticized. I think it shows you how difficult it is to do their job," Goodell continued. "And I understand that and understand it comes with the job. The officials understand that. But I am incredibly proud about not just what they did at that game, but also what they continue to do.”
NFL officials have come under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks for a number of questionable calls, including an unnecessary roughness penalty and an absent pass interference call in Week 13's matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Chiefs.
Vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said officiating is a "constant work in progress," but the NFL is always looking to improve, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.