Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Monday that the offside call on linebacker Dee Ford that wiped out what might have been a game-clinching interception in the AFC Championship Game was “legitimate” while adding that officials usually issue a warning to a player lining up offside “in a game of that magnitude.”
Ford didn’t disagree with Reid’s comments about what usually happens, but blamed himself for playing “sloppy football” at a crucial moment in the game.
“I can’t expect that,” Ford said, via ESPN.com. “I just have to line up onside at the end of the day. I’m not an excuse maker ... I’m looking right at the ball. Honestly, it’s just a critical mistake on my end.”
It was a big mistake as the Patriots continued driving for a go-ahead touchdown. The Chiefs got the ball back with a chance to score one of their own, but they settled for a field goal that sent the game to overtime. They wouldn’t get the ball back after Rex Burkhead’s touchdown and the offseason came earlier than anyone in Kansas City would have preferred.