Josh Allen runs in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Buffalo Bills came up short against the Kansas City Chiefs once again in the playoffs, losing 32-29 in a game marked by a series of controversial calls.
Officials are coming under fire after several calls — and apparent missed calls — went Kansas City’s way in the AFC Championship Game. The most controversial came when Bills quarterback Josh Allen was ruled short of the line to gain on a fourth down run in the fourth quarter, a call that even the CBS broadcast crew questioned.
Critical Call Flipped Momentum to Chiefs
The Bills had the ball with a 1-point lead and were driving toward field goal range in the fourth quarter. After Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid caught a pass that appeared to put him past the first-down market, officials on the field marked him just short of the line to gain.
The Bills ran a quarterback sneak with Allen on the next play and he appeared to pick up the yard needed for the first down. One of the officials ran to a spot past the line to gain, while another stood just behind it and the ball was ultimately spotted short.
The play went to a booth review, but officials said the call on the field would stand and the Chiefs took over on downs.
The call has drawn some strong pushback. CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore said during the broadcast that he believed Allen clearly made enough for a first down.
“I felt like he gained it by about a third of the football,” Steratore said. “That is just my take on the play. Tough, tough play.”
“I agree,” announcer Jim Nantz said in response.
The turnover on downs was a critical one, with the Chiefs scoring a touchdown on their next possession to go up 29-22. While the Bills were able to tie the game, the Chiefs got a field goal and stopped the Bills on their final drive to seal the win and a trip back to the Super Bowl for a third straight time.
Even Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey agreed.
“They lowkey did rob the Bills from the 4th down conversion. Josh definitely crossed the line,” he wrote in a post on X.
Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown agreed, posting a screenshot of the broadcast that appeared to show Allen past the line to gain.
“Only Against the Chiefs this not a first,” Brown wrote in a post on X.
Other Calls Spark Controversy
While the fourth down spot may have been the most consequential call of the game, officials also faced criticism for others that went Kansas City’s way. With the Chiefs holding a 14-10 lead in the second quarter, quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a pass that Bills safety Cole Bishop appeared to intercept, but Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy got a hand on the ball and possession was ultimately awarded to the Chiefs.
The Chiefs would go on to score a touchdown three plays later, and many fans spoke out against the call.
