With controversy still brewing over last week’s AFC Championship Game, the NFL has admitted another missed call that should have gone against Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in their win over the Buffalo Bills.
The league announced on Feb. 1 that Kelce was hit with a $11,255 fine for taunting, an infraction that took place after a second-quarter touchdown. The action drew some controversy at the time, as Kelce was not flagged on the play while Bills defensive lineman Jordan Phillips was penalized for his reaction to Kelce.
Phillips was also fined by the league, though Kelce’s punishment could deepen the already growing controversy surrounding calls in the AFC Championship Game.
Travis Kelce Taunted Bills Safety
Kelce was fined for his actions after a Patrick Mahomes rushing touchdown. Following the play, Kelce turned to Bills safety Damar Hamlin and shouted in his face, nodding his head up and down in an apparent taunt.
Phillips then ran to confront Kelce, with the Bills defensive lineman’s helmet making contact with Kelce’s helmet as the two collided.
Many Bills fans were upset that Kelce was not penalized on the play, while the flag to Phillips allowed the Chiefs to move closer on their extra-point attempt, which was made by kicker Harrison Butker.
Anger Builds Over Officiating in AFC Title Game
Even before the league admitted the missed call against Kelce, many Bills fans were angry at an apparent disparity in calls between the Bills and Chiefs — especially on a critical drive in the fourth quarter.
The Bills held a 1-point lead early in the fourth quarter when they appeared to make the line to gain on a third-down pass to tight end Dalton Kincaid. Officials marked him short of the line, and the Bills hurried to make a fourth-down rushing attempt by quarterback Josh Allen. Though Allen also appeared to cross the line to gain, he was also marked short and the ball was turned over to the Chiefs on downs.
The Chiefs went on to score a touchdown on the subsequent drive, taking a 29-22 lead and ultimately winning.
A Bills fan later posted a video compilation on X showing several other plays where the Bills player appeared to cross the line to gain but was marked short of a first down.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said he believed that Allen made a first down on the critical fourth-down run, but did not directly address officiating. He later told reporters that he prepared his team for the possibility of getting some bad calls, saying they would need to be ready to withstand them and still perform.
“We went into the game and one of my messages to the team, and this happens from time to time, is you’re going to have to — you’re not going to get calls,” McDermott said, via SI.com. “We’re not going to get calls. And I think just when you prepare a team, you prepare them ahead of time, mentally, for this is the way it’s going down. And you live with that.”
