If you mean the famous Chiefs penalty against New England, it was linebacker Dee Ford, whose offside flag erased a late interception in the 2019 AFC Championship Game. If you mean the more recent penalty against Buffalo, the player was wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
Those two plays are often mixed together because both drew attention at crucial moments. Here’s what happened in each game, why the calls mattered, and how an NFL offside penalty differs from other alignment fouls.
who was offside for the chiefs? The two calls people mean
Dee Ford was the Chiefs defender flagged for lining up offside in the 2019 AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots. The penalty wiped out a late interception and became closely associated with Kansas City’s overtime loss.
Kadarius Toney was flagged for an offensive offside penalty during the Chiefs’ December 2023 game against the Buffalo Bills. His penalty erased a long touchdown catch and drew widespread discussion about how receivers line up before the snap.
So the right answer depends on which game prompted the question. If someone mentions the Chiefs-Patriots playoff loss, they mean Ford. If they mention a touchdown called back against Buffalo, they mean Toney.
| Player | Game | What the penalty affected | Best clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dee Ford | 2019 AFC Championship Game vs. Patriots | A late interception was nullified | New England, playoffs, overtime |
| Kadarius Toney | Chiefs vs. Bills in December 2023 | A long touchdown was called back | Buffalo, Mahomes, sideline discussion |
What happened on Dee Ford’s offside penalty?
Ford’s penalty came during the fourth quarter of the 2019 AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs were playing the Patriots for a place in the Super Bowl. New England quarterback Tom Brady threw a pass that Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward intercepted.
The apparent turnover did not stand. Officials had flagged Ford for being offside, so the play was nullified and New England kept possession. The Patriots later scored a touchdown, and the game went to overtime. New England won 37–31.
The flag became a lasting talking point because an interception at that point could have given Kansas City a major opportunity to protect its lead. Instead, the penalty erased the play and extended the Patriots’ drive. That sequence is why Ford’s name remains tied to the game.
There is an important distinction, though: the penalty was a significant moment, but it was not the only reason the Chiefs lost. Kansas City had other chances to stop New England and to win the game during regulation. The final result followed a full game, not one flag alone.
Why the interception was called back
In football, a defender cannot line up in the neutral zone when the ball is snapped. The neutral zone is the space between the offense’s and defense’s lines, centered on the football. If a defender is in that space at the snap, officials can call offside.
Ford was lined up close to the line of scrimmage, and the official judged that he had crossed into the neutral zone when the ball was snapped. Because the foul happened before the play could count, the interception could not stand. The penalty gave the offense another opportunity rather than awarding Kansas City the ball.
People sometimes describe the moment as if Ford’s penalty directly handed New England the win. That overstates what one play can explain. It did erase a turnover and help keep the Patriots’ drive alive, but the teams still had to play the remaining regulation time and overtime.
What happened with Kadarius Toney against Buffalo?
In December 2023, Kansas City played Buffalo in a regular-season game at Arrowhead Stadium. Late in the game, Patrick Mahomes connected with Toney on a long pass that appeared to produce a go-ahead touchdown. Officials called Toney for offensive offside, so the score was taken off the board.
The penalty moved Kansas City back and changed the situation on the drive. The Chiefs did not score a touchdown on that play, and Buffalo won 20–17. The call triggered an argument about whether Toney was lined up too far forward and whether officials should warn a receiver before enforcing that kind of foul.
The key fact is that the flag was for Toney’s alignment before the snap. It was not a holding penalty, a pass-interference call, or a judgment that he caught the ball incorrectly. The touchdown itself did not count because officials had identified a pre-snap foul.
That distinction helps explain why the play caused so much confusion. A viewer following the ball might see a successful catch and a score, then wonder why the result disappeared. In football, a foul before the snap can invalidate everything that happens on the play, even if the offense completes a spectacular pass.
Why a receiver can be called offside
Offside is usually associated with defenders, but an offensive player can also draw a similar penalty by lining up illegally over the line of scrimmage. Players who line up near the line must be positioned correctly in relation to the ball and the rest of the formation.
Receivers often adjust their position to make sure the formation is legal. A small shift can matter because the line of scrimmage is set by the ball, not by a painted stripe on the field. A player who looks close to the line on television may be over it when the officials judge the ball’s position.
That does not mean every close alignment should be treated as an automatic foul. Officials have to apply the formation rules to the position they see at the snap. But a receiver is responsible for lining up legally, and a touchdown does not cancel out a pre-snap penalty.
Offside, neutral-zone infraction, and false start: the difference
These penalties can look alike on a broadcast because they happen around the snap. Their details are different. Knowing the basic distinction makes it easier to understand why a flag was thrown and what happens next.
| Penalty | Typical player or action | What happens | Simple way to tell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offside | A player is in the neutral zone when the ball is snapped | The play can continue; the offense may accept the penalty | The foul is judged at the snap |
| Neutral-zone infraction | A defender enters the neutral zone and causes an offensive player to react, or has an unobstructed path to the quarterback | The officials stop the play before the snap in many cases | The defender’s movement triggers an immediate reaction or threat |
| False start | An offensive player makes an illegal movement after becoming set | The play is stopped before the snap | The offense moves first |
These are practical summaries, not a substitute for every detail in the NFL rulebook. The exact ruling depends on what the player did and when it happened. Still, the table shows why a live-play flag against a defender is not automatically the same as a false start.
On Ford’s play, the issue was a defender’s position at the snap. On Toney’s play, the concern was the offensive player’s alignment before the ball was snapped. Both were officially described as offside penalties, but they arose from different responsibilities within the formation.
Why the flags mattered so much to fans
Both penalties changed the meaning of a high-impact play. Ford’s flag nullified an interception, which would have ended the Patriots’ possession. Toney’s flag nullified a touchdown, which could have put Kansas City in front of Buffalo. When a foul takes away a result that looks decisive, the penalty naturally becomes the center of the story.
The timing also made each call easy to remember. Ford’s penalty happened late in a playoff game that went to overtime. Toney’s flag came on a long scoring play in a close game. The memorable outcome can make it seem as though the foul alone settled everything, even when the game included many other pivotal drives and decisions.
Replay and broadcast angles can add to the debate. A camera view may not show the ball and the player’s position in the same frame, and field markings do not always make the line of scrimmage easy to judge. The officials are responsible for applying the rule based on the ball’s position and the player’s alignment when the snap occurs.
There is also a difference between whether a call is correct under the rules and whether fans feel it should have been warned about first. Those are separate questions. A player can be guilty of a foul even if viewers disagree about the way officials communicated or managed the situation.
How to identify which Chiefs penalty someone means
Use the opponent and the play as clues. Mentions of the Patriots, an AFC Championship Game, or an interception almost always point to Ford. References to Buffalo, a called-back touchdown, Mahomes, or Toney point to the 2023 regular-season game.
- Check the opponent. New England indicates the 2019 playoff game; Buffalo indicates the 2023 game.
- Check what was erased. Ford’s penalty erased a Chiefs interception. Toney’s penalty erased a Chiefs touchdown.
- Check the player’s role. Ford was a defender; Toney was a wide receiver.
- Check the game result. The Patriots beat Kansas City in overtime in 2019. Buffalo beat the Chiefs 20–17 in 2023.
This quick check prevents a common mix-up: treating the two penalties as one incident. The players, opponents, seasons, and affected plays were different, even though both incidents involved an offside flag against Kansas City.
What people often get wrong about these plays
“The offside call alone cost the Chiefs the game”
That is too simple. Ford’s penalty had a major effect because it erased an interception, but the game continued and Kansas City had later chances. Toney’s penalty took away a touchdown, but the Chiefs still had opportunities to respond. A useful account should explain the impact without pretending one decision explains every result.
“Only defenders can be offside”
Defenders are the players most often associated with offside, but offensive formation rules also restrict where players may line up. Toney’s penalty is a clear example of why the term can apply to an offensive player. The underlying issue was his position relative to the line when the ball was snapped.
“A successful play should count if the foul was minor”
That is not how the rules work. If officials call a pre-snap foul that invalidates the play, a touchdown or interception from that play does not count. The value of the result does not change whether a player was lined up legally.
“The two calls involved the same kind of player error”
They did not. Ford was a defender judged to be in the neutral zone at the snap. Toney was an offensive player penalized for lining up beyond the line of scrimmage. Both are called offside, but the circumstances and responsibilities differ.
Why alignment checks matter before the snap
For players, the practical lesson is simple: find the ball, identify the line of scrimmage, and confirm your alignment before the snap. Receivers should not use a painted field line as their only reference because the ball’s position defines the line. Defenders must also avoid leaning or stepping into the neutral zone as the offense prepares to snap.
For coaches, consistent pre-snap communication can reduce preventable penalties. Players need to know who is responsible for checking the formation, especially when substitutions or motion change the alignment. A quick verbal confirmation is useful because a small positioning error can erase a play that otherwise works perfectly.
For viewers, watch the line rather than only the ball carrier. On a replay, look for the ball’s position at the snap and compare it with the player being discussed. That is more informative than judging from a wide angle that may distort depth or hide the exact moment the ball moved.
One detail many fans miss is that the responsible player does not need to touch the ball or affect the play for an alignment foul to matter. If the official identifies a violation before or at the snap, the play can be penalized regardless of who receives the pass. That is why penalties against a defender can erase an interception and penalties against a receiver can erase a touchdown.
Which player is the answer?
If the question refers to the Chiefs’ infamous playoff penalty against the Patriots, the answer is Dee Ford. His offside flag nullified a late interception in the 2019 AFC Championship Game, which New England ultimately won in overtime.
If the question refers to the Chiefs’ 2023 game against the Bills, the answer is Kadarius Toney. His offensive offside penalty erased a long touchdown, and Buffalo won the game 20–17.
When someone says simply that a Chiefs player was offside, ask which opponent or season they mean. That small bit of context separates two frequently confused calls and gives the right player’s name immediately.
For the famous 2019 AFC Championship penalty, who was offside for the chiefs? It was Dee Ford, whose flag erased a late interception against New England. Kadarius Toney was the player penalized on the separate touchdown play against Buffalo in 2023.
Use the opponent and the play to identify the incident: Patriots and an interception point to Ford; Bills and a called-back touchdown point to Toney. If you are reviewing a clip, check the ball’s position at the snap and the player’s alignment.