The Kansas City Chiefs secured their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance on Sunday night with a victory over the Buffalo Bills, but a controversial fourth-quarter referee call significantly influenced the game’s outcome. Late in the match, the Chiefs halted Buffalo on a pivotal fourth-down attempt when Bills quarterback Josh Allen fell just short on a run. The spot of the ball, however, quickly became a contentious issue, as two officials marked it in different locations—one giving Buffalo a first down while the other left them short, returning possession to Kansas City. Ultimately, the referees favored the shorter spot, a decision that stood upon review.
Days later, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane expressed his frustration regarding the call. “It’s frustrating,” Beane commented to Sports Illustrated. “There’s only so much I can say. We work with the league to try to get clarity. I’ll give them credit. They’ve taken our calls and sent video and things like that. If you’re talking about the fourth-down play, I feel like [Allen] got that. I still feel he got that. I felt that in the moment, and nothing has changed my mind on that.” Beane wasn’t alone in his belief; Bills head coach Sean McDermott also thought his quarterback achieved a first down on that play, stating, “I thought he had it. Just short of the line was actually the first down, from where I was sitting with the marker. It looked to me like he got to it. That’s all I can say.”
CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steretore also supported this view, asserting, “I felt like he gained it by about a third of a football,” as he commented during the broadcast. “That was just my take on the play. Tough, tough play.” Unfortunately, even if there was an error, there is nothing that can be done about it now.
