NFL officials' incompetency tilts field against Bills in heartbreaking loss

The officiating was another obstacle the Buffalo Bills were unable to overcome in their bid to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs

Jan 22, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (right) poses with referee Clete Blakeman during a AFC Divisional playoff football game / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The fourth quarter was underway, and the Buffalo Bills were in business.

On the road in the AFC Championship Game, the Bills held a 22-21 lead and possessed the ball in Kansas City Chiefs' territory. Buffalo was seemingly in control of its fate against the back-to-back Super Bowl champions until one of the more maddening sequences in franchise history subsequently occurred. The game-changing chain of events included two poor spots, an official replay review that did nothing to fix a glaring on-field error and a turnover on downs that turned the tide for the Chiefs.

It was 3rd-and-3 as quarterback Josh Allen hit tight end Dalton Kincaid on a safe pass to the flat. Kincaid cut upfield and lunged toward the line to gain while being tackled. He clearly advanced the ball past the sticks, which were at the Chiefs' 40-yard line. The official, however, subjectively moved the spot back behind the first down line. There was no "eye in the sky" correction, and Buffalo opted to line up for a 4th-and-inches attempt rather than protest the official's questionable judgment.

Next, Allen ran the QB sneak to the left and was stood up just past the line of scrimmage, but he needed only to slightly pass the line of scrimmage in order to move the chains. Prior to having his forward progress stopped, Allen appeared to have reached the 40-yard line while securely cradling the ball.

While line judge Jeff Seeman appeared ready to mark the ball past the line to gain, down judge Patrick Holt made the official spot short of the line. For some reason, the chains were never brought out onto the field for a measurement as referee Clete Blakeman signaled the turnover on downs.

“I thought he had it," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott. "The line was the, 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."

Somehow an official replay review did not provide enough evidence to change Holt's erroneous spot and the on-field ruling was upheld. It was a shot of energy for the Chiefs, who seem to always be on the right side of every close call the past few years.

"Darn right it does. I mean, that's a possession. We're up one point, I believe, at the time, a chance to go up maybe multiple scores at that point. It's a big call. Yeah, it's absolutely a big call," said McDermott.

It wasn't the only head-scratcher from the Clete Blakeman-led officiating crew that appeared more fit for a UFL preseason game than an NFL conference title bout. In the first half, a reception was awarded to Xavier Worthy despite the ball hitting the ground while safety Cole Bishop first had it in his grasp.

RELATED: Why officials from the Bills vs. Chiefs didn't have to answer for horrible calls

Ultimately, Buffalo could have overcome the multiple misfortunes had it successfully executed its four-minute offense while facing a three-point deficit later in the quarter. Still, there's no denying that the challenge of dethroning the Chiefs was only made more difficult by the sheer incompetency of Blakeman's crew.

In the end, the back-to-back champions, a hostile environment, a few unforced miscues and multiple officiating gaffes were too much for the Bills on AFC Championship Sunday.

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) makes a catch against Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop (24) / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

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