Patrick Mahomes made headlines this week but not for the best reasons. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback was clearly frustrated with the late game officiating during his team’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, and he even complained about it when meeting Josh Allen on the field.
What drove Mahomes mad was an offsides penalty against Kadarius Toney in a play that could have given the Chiefs the win, as the wideout got to the end zone following a lateral pass from Travis Kelce. Instead, Kansas City lost yards and it ended up losing 17-20.
When Allen went to greet Mahomes, the Chiefs star was still furious about that situation. However, the Bills quarterback revealed Mahomes called him to apologize for that moment.
“He reached out to me, and I was just like, ‘It’s football. It’s a game of emotion.’ I know he didn’t mean anything by it,“ Allen told reporters, via Fox News. “I know the cameras kinda caught the last few seconds of what we were talking about. He’s an ultimate competitor. He wants to win, and that’s why he is who he is.”
Patrick Mahomes regrets his outburst
Apart from calling Allen privately, Mahomes has publicly shown remorse about his reaction to the officiating on Sunday.
“It happens, man. It’s the NFL,” Mahomes told Carrington Harrison on 610 Sports Radio show ‘The Drive’. “Stuff like that happens. You’ve got to move on. … Obviously, you don’t want to react that way. 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 towards officials or really anybody in life.”
However, the 27-year-old made it clear that what he regrets the most is the attitude with Allen after the game. Mahomes understands the Bills QB had nothing to do with his frustration, but he simply lost his temper.
“Probably regret acting like that, but more than anything, I regret the way I acted towards Josh after the game because he had nothing to do with it,” Mahomes said. “I was still hot and emotional, but you can’t do that, man. It’s not a great example for kids watching the game. I was more upset about that than I was about me on the sideline.”
What’s next for Bills, Chiefs
The Bills’ win at Arrowhead has fueled their playoff aspirations. In fact, with the Dolphins’ loss to the Titans on Monday night, Buffalo can still aspire to take control of the division in the final weeks.
Miami is still in control of the AFC East at 9-4, but only two wins separates it from the Bills (7-6). They will clash in the regular season finale, so Allen and company may have a great opportunity there. But first, they will have to take on the Cowboys, Chargers, and Patriots.
The Chiefs, on the other hand, have fallen on the battle for the top seed in the AFC. AT 8-5, Mahomes’ team first has to make sure to keep the Denver Broncos (7-6) at bay in the AFC West. Kansas City will try and bounce back in Foxborough on Sunday. Then, Andy Reid’s men will play the Raiders, Bengals, and Chargers.