Josh Allen and the Bills did tie the game up on their next possession
NFL officiating was a talking point in the midst of the biggest game of the year between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night in the AFC Championship.
The Bills were stuck with a 4th-and-1 with about 13 minutes to play in the game. Josh Allen ran a quarterback sneak to try to achieve first-down yardage. At first glance, the push from his teammates appeared to be unsuccessful in getting a new set of downs.
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Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton, #32, hits Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, #17, during the second half of the AFC Championship NFL football game on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The game was stopped as officials reviewed the play. The CBS broadcast appeared to show the two sideline judges initially disagreeing with the spot of the ball. One official spotted the ball closer to the marker than the other.
The replay appeared to show Allen may have gotten the ball across the line as he inched backward into Chiefs defensive linemen. However, officials ruled that Allen did not get the ball to the marker, and Buffalo turned the ball over.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, #17, warms up before the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
NFL fans watching the game were highly critical of the ball spot and expressed it as much during the game.
Does Josh Allen do enough to get the 1st down here? pic.twitter.com/7h8Y20qEWM
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) January 27, 2025
Let’s an awful call and again a worse review
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 27, 2025
The ball clearly is past the line.
Absolutely horrible
Biggest play of the game was giving Chiefs the ball when they ruled Josh Allen short on 4th down with 12:55 left. Bills probably get that call in Buffalo. pic.twitter.com/XKDM2JE5ps
— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) January 27, 2025
The Chiefs go-ahead TD drive was set up by a ruling that Josh Allen did not get a Bills first down.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 27, 2025
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Gene Steratore react to the ruling.
"Wow." - Romo
"I felt like he gained it by about a third of the football..." -Steratore
"I agree." - Nantz 🏈🦓🎙️ https://t.co/R4Xs0phM0P pic.twitter.com/8xvT1t1rdn
🚨JOSH ALLEN GOT THE FIRST DOWN HERE.
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 27, 2025
INSTEAD THE REFS RULED HIM SHORT AND GAVE THE #CHIEFS THE BALL.
A COMPLETE GAME-CHANGER.
😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/kvhqyAc9Q8
The referees gave worthy that catch when the ball clearly hit the ground then the referees did not give Josh Allen the first down when he clearly got to the line. The Chiefs scored two touchdowns off of those calls. Straight up trash.
— Josh Barnett-AZ (@BarnettforAZ) January 27, 2025
Not saying anything is "rigged" as I don't believe in that, but the line judge that actually had a view of the football was the one who gave him the first down. Why would he concede his mark to the line judge that was being shielded by Josh Allen's body? https://t.co/3Ojxu4CBnl
— Sia Nejad (@SiaNejad) January 27, 2025
The Chiefs scored on the following drive. Buffalo did tie the game on the next possession. However, it was Harrison Butker’s field goal and a Chiefs defensive stop that put an end to the game.
Kansas City won, 32-29.
The Allen stop was not the only questionable call in the game. A huge Xavier Worthy play in the second quarter was ruled a catch despite the ball seemingly touching the ground.
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The Chiefs scored on the drive as well.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
