The Buffalo Bills gambled and lost on a critical fourth-down play late in Sunday’s AFC championship game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The play involved a controversial spot that was upheld on replay review. Buffalo led by one point at the time of the play and went on to lose the game, 32-29.
Did Josh Allen get to the line of gain here?
With Buffalo holding a 22-21 lead and 13:01 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Bills went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Kansas City 41-yard line. They called a quarterback sneak for Josh Allen. The Chiefs stood Allen up near the line of scrimmage, but Allen appeared to gain just enough ground to reach the line of gain at the 40-yard line.
Sideline angles appeared to show that the ball just reached the 40-yard line, but a clear view of the ball was blocked on both angles that didn’t provide a definitive view.
Officials ruled Allen short on the field, then reviewed the play on replay. After review, referee Clete Blakeman announced that the ruling on the field would stand. The Bills turned the ball over on downs.
Chiefs take advantage of turnover en route to win
The Chiefs almost immediately cashed in on the turnover. Five plays later, Patrick Mahomes scrambled for a 10-yard touchdown. He followed up with a successful 2-point conversion pass to Justin Watson to give the Chiefs a 29-22 lead with 10:14 remaining.
The Bills responded with a nine-play, 70-yard touchdown of their own to tie the game at 29-29. But the Chiefs answered with a field-goal drive to retake the lead at 32-29 with 3:33 remaining.
The Bills turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, allowing the Chiefs to take the ball and run out the clock on the 3-point win. The victory secured a third-straight Super Bowl berth for the Chiefs, who will face the Philadelphia Eagles in their quest for an unprecedented three-peat.
In a season and postseason filled with officiating controversy around the Chiefs, Buffalo’s failed fourth down effort will surely come under intense scrutiny.