The refs got it wrong. This isn’t an opinion. This isn’t a Bills fan crying about the refs after the Bills got sent home by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for the fourth time in five years. This is conclusive, undeniably incorrect, and it potentially cost the Bills the game. And it happed more than once.
There were multiple plays throughout the game that were questionable, but on two different plays that happened back-to-back, the officials missed it, and it crippled Buffalo’s chances.
3rd and 3: Josh Allen to Dalton Kincaid
Before the 4th down stop heard ’round the world, Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid caught a third down pass from Allen as the Bills were driving. Kincaid had to reach the 40 yard line for a first down, and he was tackled near the line to gain.
He made the line. The referees disagreed, spotting him almost a full yard shy.
Jon Helmkamp3-4 minutes 27/1/2025
The refs got it wrong. This isn’t an opinion. This isn’t a Bills fan crying about the refs after the Bills got sent home by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for the fourth time in five years. This is conclusive, undeniably incorrect, and it potentially cost the Bills the game. And it happed more than once.
There were multiple plays throughout the game that were questionable, but on two different plays that happened back-to-back, the officials missed it, and it crippled Buffalo’s chances.
3rd and 3: Josh Allen to Dalton Kincaid
Before the 4th down stop heard ’round the world, Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid caught a third down pass from Allen as the Bills were driving. Kincaid had to reach the 40 yard line for a first down, and he was tackled near the line to gain.
He made the line. The referees disagreed, spotting him almost a full yard shy.
If you want to call him short, sure. Fine. It’s close. But 4th and inches with a Josh Allen sneak looming is very different than 4th and what was almost a full yard to go.
Josh Allen stopped on 4th down
Quarterback sneaks have been a staple of the Bills all season, and with outstanding success. On the biggest stage, though, the play didn’t work nearly as well as it had throughout the season. Multiple plays were stuffed for no gain.
Lining up on 4th down, Allen took the rock and was met with force right at the line to gain.
Where it doesn’t sit right is that one referee came running in marking him for a first down, but another ref, who had it short, apparently won the conversation. They marked Allen short, then went to review.
Apparently looking at it a second time didn’t change things, when it should have.
The full clip shows Allen get stood up, but with the ball clearly over the line to gain. Then he surges forward after that point, with the ball out of view as it was blocked by a Kansas City helmet.
What hurts for Bills Mafia even further was that Gene Steratore, CBS rules analyst and former referee, thought they got it wrong.
“I felt like he gained it by about a third of a football,” he said on the broadcast. Here’s the full play.
It’s the same ol’ pain for Bills players, coaches, and fans alike, falling to the Chiefs in four out of the last five playoffs. With every passing year, the mountain seems to get harder and harder to climb.
We’ll have all offseason to figure out what needs to change in order for Buffalo to finally make it past the Chiefs, but losing in part to the referees missing two crucial spots is a hard pill to swallow.
If you want to call him short, sure. Fine. It’s close. But 4th and inches with a Josh Allen sneak looming is very different than 4th and what was almost a full yard to go.
Josh Allen stopped on 4th down
Quarterback sneaks have been a staple of the Bills all season, and with outstanding success. On the biggest stage, though, the play didn’t work nearly as well as it had throughout the season. Multiple plays were stuffed for no gain.
Lining up on 4th down, Allen took the rock and was met with force right at the line to gain.
Where it doesn’t sit right is that one referee came running in marking him for a first down, but another ref, who had it short, apparently won the conversation. They marked Allen short, then went to review.
Apparently looking at it a second time didn’t change things, when it should have.
The full clip shows Allen get stood up, but with the ball clearly over the line to gain. Then he surges forward after that point, with the ball out of view as it was blocked by a Kansas City helmet.
What hurts for Bills Mafia even further was that Gene Steratore, CBS rules analyst and former referee, thought they got it wrong.
“I felt like he gained it by about a third of a football,” he said on the broadcast. Here’s the full play.
It’s the same ol’ pain for Bills players, coaches, and fans alike, falling to the Chiefs in four out of the last five playoffs. With every passing year, the mountain seems to get harder and harder to climb.
We’ll have all offseason to figure out what needs to change in order for Buffalo to finally make it past the Chiefs, but losing in part to the referees missing two crucial spots is a hard pill to swallow.
