Patrick Mahomes made headlines for his reaction to the penalty against Kadarius Toney for offside. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback was seen furious on the sidelines as the Buffalo Bills got away with the win, and he even took a shot at the NFL officiating.
“That’s a Hall of Fame tight end making a Hall of Fame play that won’t be shown because we threw a flag for an offensive offside,” Mahomes said in his post-game press conference, via the team’s website. “So it takes away from not only this game and this season but from a legendary career that Travis (Kelce) has had and that hurts me because I know how hard he works for it.”
Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a brilliant play that almost saw the Chiefs score a late touchdown to turn things around, but the play was overturned for an offside by Toney. Kansas City lost yards, and it ultimately lost 17-20.
Speaking to Carrington Harrison on 610 Sports Radio show “The Drive,” Mahomes explained he regrets the way he reacted to the situation both on the field and in his press conference.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts with Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri.
“It happens, man. It’s the NFL,” Mahomes said, as quoted by CBS Sports. “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.”
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Mahomes mostly regrets moment with Josh Allen
Mahomes lost his temper as soon as the offense left the field. The reigning MVP threw his helmet and had to be held by his teammates as he couldn’t stop shouting at the referees. But his rage continued even after the game finished, as he was still complaining about the offsides penalty when he met Bills quarterback Josh Allen on the field.
“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.”
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Mahomes had a strong message against the late game officiating after the game, claiming the referees often prevent players from being the ones who make things happen on the field.
“It’s tough when you play a hard fought game and the game comes down to stuff like that,” the Texas Tech product added. “But it’s part of it, man. It’s part of the game. You’ve got to just learn from it and try to be better from it, be better as a person and be better as a player. It’s something that I’ll learn from in my career and try to be better the next time the situation arises.“
Patrick Mahomes addresses’ Chiefs struggles this season
While the Chiefs are still in a position to make the playoffs as division leaders, their 8-5 record is their worst start after 13 games since Mahomes took over as starter in 2018.
Besides, their control of the AFC West could be at risk as the Denver Broncos are just one win behind (7-6). In the meantime, Kansas City has fallen in the battle for the top seed in the AFC, which grants a bye to the first round.
Andy Reid head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
“Not every season is going to be the same,” Mahomes said. “You’re not always going to have success. You’ve got to learn how to get better from it. We’ve still got four games left and we’ve got to to whatever we can to fight and win the division and make the playoffs.”
The Chiefs’ offense has struggled big time this year, with Mahomes averaging career-lows in passing yards, touchdowns and QBR since his first year as starter. Travis Kelce and rookie wideout Rashee Rice have so far been his only reliable targets, so it’s hard to know how far the reigning Super Bowl champs will go this year. Of course, the playoffs are always a completely different story, so maybe we just have to wait and see.
