Tom Brady ‘shuts down’ complaints from Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes: “I hate pouring salt in the wound, but the knee flinched”

Tom Brady believes the Kansas City Chiefs have more pressing problems than a disputed officiating decision, delivering a firm response to the controversy surrounding their dramatic defeat against the Denver Broncos .

Kansas City suffered a 28-24 loss on Sunday after surrendering an 11-point fourth-quarter lead, but the most contentious moment arrived with just four seconds remaining when Patrick Mahomes appeared to find Rashee Rice for the winning touchdown.

The celebration was short-lived, however, as officials penalized right tackle Jaylon Moore for a false start, wiping out the score and forcing Kansas City to attempt another play from six yards out.

Mahomes was subsequently sacked by Denver's Malcolm Roach , completing a frustrating afternoon that left the Chiefs with consecutive defeats after opening the season with five straight victories.

Head coach Andy Reid questioned the penalty afterward, while Mahomes expressed frustration about such a marginal infringement being called during the decisive moments of a game.

Brady , however, reviewed the incident and reached a different conclusion, suggesting Kansas City's frustration was misplaced.

The former New England Patriots quarterback addressed the incident during his latest FOX Sports power rankings, where Kansas City's defeat contributed to another drop in the standings.

Brady acknowledged the disappointment surrounding the result but insisted officials had correctly identified Moore 's movement before the snap.

"I hate pouring salt in the wound, but the knee flinched. The refs made the right call," Brady said.

His assessment contrasted with Reid 's explanation during his postgame press conference, when the Chiefs coach maintained that he had not witnessed a clear infringement.

"I didn't see it," Reid said. "That's one man's opinion. I saw him move his head, but I didn't see a false start."

Mahomes also questioned the timing of the decision while accepting that his team ultimately had to live with the officials' ruling.

"But a lot of times in those big moments, the little stuff doesn't get called like that," Mahomes told reporters.

The Chiefs committed 11 penalties for 105 yards against Denver, with those mistakes contributing to their inability to protect a commanding fourth-quarter advantage.

Brady identifies encouraging sign

Although Brady supported the officials, he was considerably more positive about Mahomes ' performance, suggesting the quarterback had rediscovered his usual effectiveness.

Mahomes threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, producing a significant improvement after struggling to generate passing touchdowns in recent games.

Brady placed Kansas City ninth in his latest rankings after previously having the Chiefs second, reflecting the consequences of consecutive road defeats against Seattle and Denver.

The loss also allowed the Broncos to move ahead in the AFC West standings, increasing the importance of Kansas City's upcoming home game against the New York Jets .

Despite the setback, Brady believes Mahomes ' improved form offers encouragement if the Chiefs can eliminate the penalties that have undermined their recent performances.

His verdict leaves Kansas City with a straightforward challenge which is to focus less on the disputed decision and more on correcting the mistakes that allowed Denver to complete its comeback.