The Kansas City Chiefs clinched their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance on Sunday night with a win over the Buffalo Bills, but a controversial fourth-quarter call had a significant impact on the game’s outcome.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs stopped Buffalo on a pivotal fourth-down attempt when Bills quarterback Josh Allen came up just short on a fourth-down run. However, the spot of the ball stirred controversy.
Two officials on the field marked the ball differently – one spot would have given the Bills a first down, while the other left them just short, turning possession over to the Chiefs. The referees ultimately went with the spot that left Buffalo short of the line to gain, and that spot was upheld upon replay review.
After the game, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott made it clear that he thought this was a bad spot and a missed call from the referees, expressing his belief that Allen had secured the first down.
“I thought he had it,” McDermott said, 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 wasn’t alone in thinking Allen had reached the first down. CBS Sports rules analyst Gene Steratore also believed the Bills should have been awarded the first down.
“I felt like he gained it by about a third of a football,” Steratore said during the broadcast. “That was just my take on the play. Tough, tough play.”
Instead, the Chiefs took over at midfield and promptly drove down the field, scoring a touchdown and converting a two-point attempt to extend their lead to 29-22 late in the game.
Needless to say, this was a big moment, and McDermott’s belief that Allen actually got the first down led to a lot of reactions on social media, with many fans agreeing with him.
“Everyone did but Chiefs fans and the officials because he did,” one fan wrote.
“He did. I knew that was the turning point of the game,” someone else said.
“Every non-Chiefs fan: Obviously,” another person added.
“He did get the first down,” someone else declared.
“Everyone thought that,” another person added.
“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,” someone else said.
With the victory, the Chiefs advance to the Super Bowl for the third year in a row, aiming for an unprecedented three-peat.
