The Kansas City Chiefs nearly pulled off one of the most insane comebacks of the 2023 season before a penalty reversed a touchdown by wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
The improbable play occurred late in the fourth quarter when quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit tight end Travis Kelce deep downfield on a crucial drive with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Kelce darted upfield and lateraled the ball to Toney, who was completely uncovered near the left boundary.
The wide receiver caught the pitch and scampered into the end zone, but an offensive offside infraction by Toney at the line of scrimmage caused the score to be reversed.
TRAVIS KELCE LATERAL TO TONEY GETS CALLED BACK 😭
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/KIYYNAopAy— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 11, 2023
Kansas City was unable to recover from the five-yard penalty and eventually turned the ball over on downs to seal the victory for Buffalo.
Fans around the NFL took to Twitter to express their displeasure with the referee’s decision to enforce the rarely-called penalty in such a consequential situation.
Check out some of their top reactions to the controversial call below:
Dumb penalties ruining the two coolest plays of the day – the Kelce lateral and the Mitch Wish run
— Ryan, smiling politely (@Craftylefty2126) December 11, 2023
Kelce with an absolute dime of a lateral to Toney for a touchdown
All to be called back for Toney being offsides
Damn
— Football (@BostonConnr) December 11, 2023
The downfield lateral is the final frontier of the offensive revolution.
Just blessed we were able to avoid catastrophe in this experiment.— Bills Stats, Graphs & Memes (@BufBillsStats) December 11, 2023
Kelce and Mahomes creating a TD that includes an improbable lateral being undone by Kadarius Toney lining offsides (as an offensive player!) just sums up the Chiefs' season so well.
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) December 11, 2023
oh my gosh
Travis Kelce lateral for the TD?
That was incredible if it standsbut it comes back on offsides
wowowowowowowow
— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) December 11, 2023
I cannot believe an offsides took away one of the best plays I’ve ever seen.
Kelce’s instincts there and precision lateral / throw back was outstanding.
— YardsAfterContract (@after_yards) December 11, 2023
Lol the stones/awareness to throw a lateral there…doesn’t count but still. Great play by Kelce
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) December 11, 2023
Toney just killed a generational catch and lateral by Travis Kelce
— Ben Cary (@Ben_Cary_) December 11, 2023
That was such a remarkably heads up play by Kelce to lateral it for the non-TD TD. He’s so good.
— Matt Lanza 🤌🏼 (@mattlanza) December 11, 2023
Didn’t count but that was still a NASTY lateral by Kelce… amazing 😂😂
— Devin’s Bookie (@DevinsBookie) December 11, 2023
"That mighta been the craziest play I've ever seen in my entire life."
– Josh Allen could not believe the negated Travis Kelce lateral@TracyWolfson | @BuffaloBills pic.twitter.com/1f9dvASsOY
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 11, 2023
This should be a regular part of designed NFL offenses!
(the lateral, not the stupid penalty)pic.twitter.com/4G6A9EfbX5
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) December 11, 2023
Travis Kelce's lateral TD on the Chiefs' final drive was called back due to a penalty on Kadarius Toney.
They ended up losing 20-17 to the Bills 😬 pic.twitter.com/s2H3vz1ZpT
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 11, 2023
On the day of the tragic passing of Frank Wycheck, the Bills losing on a backward lateral would have broken me.
— Nate Geary (@NateGearySports) December 11, 2023
Bills D had a free play and baited Kelce into a risky lateral. Incredibly sharp pic.twitter.com/ek8it3i37F
— Justin Macmahan (@JustinMacmahan) December 11, 2023
I’m so glad we don’t have to watch that Travis Kelce lateral for the rest of time now.
Thank you Kadarius Toney! #BillsMafia
— Kevin Siracuse (@kevin_siracuse) December 11, 2023
Really wish that lateral to Toney for a TD counted because it was one of the coolest plays I've seen but also it perfectly encapsulated Toney's NFL career
— mike (@bengals_sans) December 11, 2023
Imagine your football team gets a TD on one of the sickest lateral plays in years and you lose the game for them because your foot is lined up in the neutral zone
— Colin (@IntroSpecktive) December 11, 2023
Penalty aside, further proof my lateral-based NFL offense is a gold mine of an idea. https://t.co/LriWv9dVMF
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) December 11, 2023
The Kelce lateral touchdown is one of the greatest plays I’ve ever seen, and history will remember it as an offensive offsides penalty.
— William Qualkinbush (@QualkTalk) December 11, 2023
That Kelce lateral would have been an all-timer. Is the magic gone in KC?
— Don O'Brien (@DOB23) December 11, 2023
“Grandpa, tell us about that time Travis Kelce threw a game winning lateral td that didn’t count” #toney #ChiefsKingdom #BillsMafia #CBS #TaylorSwift pic.twitter.com/go2HeTN2Jx
— Chris Wyatt (@wyattchris1989) December 11, 2023
TRAVIS KELCE LATERAL TO KADARIUS TONEY ARE YOU KIDDING ME
— Football Analysis (@FBallAnalysisYT) December 11, 2023
Huge impromptu lateral for a TD called back.
No fun league.— House of Black&White (@vahlamorgulis) December 11, 2023
Nothing makes me make this face more than a successful lateral in football pic.twitter.com/HrPrsEqRlr
— Cannonball Corner (@CannonballCrner) December 11, 2023
UNREAL LATERAL BY KELCE COMPLETELY ERASED BY AN OFFSIDES😭
— sarah (@tayvischarm) December 11, 2023
When Kelce threw that lateral TD I died inside.
Thank you for the early Christmas miracle baby Jesus.
— 716vin 🦬 (@kenmoredino) December 11, 2023
If the NFL was scripted, they wouldn’t have called that offsides on KT
That play was epic and they absolutely robbed us 😭
A 30 yard reception into a lateral backwards pass for a TD by Kelce
— Obi-Wan Mahomie (@bnice19831) December 11, 2023
Too bad Toney lined up offsides. That Travis Kelce lateral for the win would have been an all timer.
— Swolchai Agbaji (@SpencerKeele) December 11, 2023
bro! the greatest play ALL DAY just got called back because the guy who lateral for the TD was lined up OFFSIDE!
— the Fez™ (@theFez36) December 11, 2023
Travis Kelce is an absolute sicko.. and I mean that in a good way.. to throw that lateral across the field is just insane behavior 😂😂😂 and it would've been a game-winning TD if it weren't for the offsides call
— Spojunky (@spojunky) December 11, 2023
