The Chiefs can complain all they want — and they clearly want. There’s no doubt that receiver Kadarius Toney lined up past the ball prior to the key play that was wiped out by the penalty he committed.
This photo is dispositive.
I get it. The Chiefs are frustrated. Things aren’t going their way this year, not like they were from 2018 through 2022. They might have to actually play a road playoff game. Suddenly, they might not even win the division.
But it’s not the fault of the officials that Toney lined up past the ball. Toney did it. Toney was looking right at the ball. He didn’t check with an official.
Look at the photo. He had a pair of hash marks to guide him. His foot was even with one of them. The ball was behind the other.
Yes, Toney was offside. It’s just the latest blunder for someone whose high-end talent is undeniable but who routinely squishes the low-hanging fruits of his labor.
Dropped passes. Mental errors.
It’s not on the officials. It’s on Toney. The Chiefs continue to try to will him into being a No. 1 receiver.
He has the hard parts of the job figured out. Unless he can master the easy stuff, he’ll never be what the Chiefs need him to be.