It was arguably the most controversial play of the playoffs so far—make that two. Yet, according to Pro Football Talk, head official Clete Blakeman and the NFL officiating crew did not address the media after the game. Mike Florio reported that “there was no officiating pool report after the Chiefs’ 32-29 win over the Bills,” citing the league. This lack of communication means there was no public explanation for why the officiating crew ruled Josh Allen short of the yard to gain on a crucial fourth down play in the fourth quarter, despite certain angles and opinions in sports media suggesting otherwise.
Referees are not obligated to speak to reporters, nor are they automatically available to the designated pool reporter after each game. As Florio notes, it is up to one or more reporters in the press box or on the sidelines to request the pool report. For context, referee Shawn Hochuli spoke with Zach Berman after the NFC Championship Game. In this instance, it seems that nobody activated that option, which left Blakeman avoiding questions about the confusing review process that ultimately benefited Kansas City—despite Gene Steratore explicitly disagreeing with the ruling on the field.
The Chiefs seized possession and quickly scored a touchdown. Although the Bills later tied the game, Kansas City secured victory with a late field goal, winning 32-29. The outcome could have been different had Buffalo converted that critical fourth down. Additionally, the situation could have changed had a flag been thrown on Buffalo’s last offensive possession. When the yellow icon appeared on the CBS scorebug, both Jim Nantz and Kevin Harlan called out the flag while fans scrambled to identify where the penalty occurred.
However, there was no penalty. A spotter informed Nantz that a flag had indeed been thrown, but that information proved to be incorrect. Though Devin McCourty speculated the phantom flag might have been on Buffalo, Blakeman could have provided clarity and cleared up the confusion surrounding what Nantz was told. Ultimately, the absence of an explanation only fuels the fire. While people may not have agreed with Blakeman’s reasoning or the officiating crew’s process, some clarity could have spared the league from the lingering cloud of doubt. But remember, it also takes two to tango.
