Days after the controversial call that helped send the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl and sent the Buffalo Bills home, Bills GM Brandon Beane is still convinced the refs got it wrong.
With a 0ne-point lead and a crucial 4th & 1, Bills QB Josh Allen failed to convert (or, at least, seemingly failed to) the first down. The play was critical since the Chiefs were awarded the ball, scored on the ensuing possession, and never looked back as they eeked out a three-point win and punched their ticket to the Super Bowl.
I’m quitting watching football. There is no other way to teach @nflcommish a lesson. This is blatant cheating. #nflrigged pic.twitter.com/fGzya6LOQX
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) January 27, 2025
It also seemed that Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid made the first down on the play before the QB sneak. Especially aggravating was the fact that the side official seemed to believe Allen made the line-to-gain, while the near side official marked him short and spotted the ball without seeming to confer with the official on the other side.
“It’s frustrating,” Beane said, per SI.com. “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. They’ve sent video and things like that. If you’re talking about, like, the fourth-down play, I feel like [Allen] got that. I still feel like he got that. I felt that in the moment and nothing has changed my mind on that.”
Beane was also bothered by the referee’s decision earlier in the game to award possession to the Chiefs on a contested catch between Bills safety Cole Bishop and Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy, in which it appeared that neither player made the catch. Yet, the referees said Worthy caught the ball and confirmed it via replay, even though it clearly hit the ground.
“The play that we challenged was a good challenge,” Beane explained. “I’m not sure either player had possession on the Bishop-Worthy play when the ball touched the ground.”
The Chiefs scored touchdowns after both controversial calls.
Outrage over the calls was not confined to Buffalo. Fans everywhere lashed out online over what appeared to be evidence to reinforce the widespread belief that the referees favor the Chiefs.
After the Chiefs’ Wild-Card victory over the Texans, another game in which multiple controversial calls went Kansas City’s way, Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis did a deep dive to reveal that the Chiefs have been assessed fewer penalties than their opponents in ten of 11 playoff games since 2021.
Favoritism towards the Chiefs has been and will continue to be a hot topic heading into Kansas City’s Super Bowl matchup against Philadelphia on February 9.
