The Kansas City Chiefs secured their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance on Sunday night with a victory over the Buffalo Bills. However, a controversial call in the fourth quarter significantly influenced the game’s outcome. Late in the game, the Chiefs halted the Bills on a crucial fourth-down attempt, where quarterback Josh Allen came up just short on his run. The placement of the ball ignited debate, as two officials on the field marked it differently—one spot would have given the Bills a first down, while the other left them short, resulting in possession being turned over to the Chiefs. Ultimately, the referees sided with the spot that deemed Buffalo short of the line to gain, a decision upheld upon review.
After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott expressed his discontent with the call, believing it was a missed opportunity for his team. “I thought he had it,” McDermott stated, as reported by Pro Football Talk. “Just short of the line was actually the first down, what it looked like to me when it was sitting next to me with the marker. Just inside that white stripe was the first down. And it looked like he got to it. That’s all I can say.” McDermott’s view on the play was echoed by CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore, who also believed Allen should have been awarded the first down. “I felt like he gained it by about a third of a football,” Steratore commented during the broadcast. “That was just my take on the play. Tough, tough play.”
As a result of the call, the Chiefs took over at midfield and swiftly drove down the field, scoring a touchdown and successfully converting a two-point attempt to extend their lead to 29-22 late in the contest. This pivotal moment sparked a wave of reactions on social media, with many fans supporting McDermott’s belief that Allen had indeed attained the first down. “Everyone did but Chiefs fans and the officials because he did,” one fan remarked. Others chimed in, with comments like, “He did. I knew that was the turning point of the game,” and, “Every non-Chiefs fan: Obviously.” Additionally, a fan suggested, “Spotting the ball should no longer be done by the refs. There’s technology for this. It’s 2025 and we’re still using a chain.”
With this victory, the Chiefs advance to the Super Bowl for the third consecutive year, aiming for an unprecedented three-peat.
