Inches. That’s what it came down to on a pivotal fourth-and-one late in the fourth quarter of the Buffalo Bills’ divisional round playoff matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Trailing by a single point and facing a season-defining decision, Bills head coach Sean McDermott opted to go for it rather than attempt a long field goal. Quarterback Josh Allen took the snap and surged forward, met almost immediately by a wall of red and white. When the officials unpiled the scrum, one signaled first down while another emphatically declared the opposite. After a brief conference, it was determined Allen had come up just short – by the length of a toddler’s toenail clipping, give or take.
In a game of razor-thin margins between two AFC heavyweights, that controversial spot loomed large. The Chiefs took over on downs and promptly drove for the go-ahead touchdown. Buffalo responded with a gutsy TD drive of their own to retake the lead, but left too much time on the clock for Patrick Mahomes, who calmly led KC back down the field for the winning score. Ball game. Season over. Dynasty: 1, Destiny: 0.
Zebras Share the Spotlight
Much of the postgame chatter centered around the officiating, especially on that pivotal fourth down call. Many Bills fans (and some neutral observers) felt Allen had gotten enough yardage for the first down and the refs had blown it. Others argued it was simply too close to overturn the call on the field. At the end of the day, it was a judgment call – and in a game filled with them, that one just happened to go against Buffalo.
The Bills also had some gripes with the officials on a few other close calls throughout the contest. A borderline defensive pass interference flag extended a Chiefs TD drive. A debatable no-call on what looked like a hold wiped out a big Bills gain. Even the winning touchdown saw some controversy, as Mahomes’ run to the pylon required a lengthy replay review to confirm.
But in the end, harping on the refs too much discounts what was simply a phenomenal football game between two of the NFL’s elite teams. Allen and Mahomes traded haymakers all evening, authoring yet another instant classic in their budding rivalry. The Bills and Chiefs combined for over 900 yards of offense and nearly 60 points as two juggernauts went blow for blow.
Dynastic Dominance
For Buffalo, it was a crushingly familiar outcome – another season ending in Kansas City, another year where lofty championship aspirations fell short against their new nemesis. The Bills have gone head-to-head with the Chiefs in the playoffs four times in the past three years and come up empty each time.
Once again, the Bills came agonizingly close but couldn’t quite get over the hump. Like the John Madden-led Raiders in the early 1970s, who kept running into the dynastic Dolphins, Steelers and Packers in the postseason, these Bills seem to be perpetually knocking on the door of greatness only to have it slammed in their faces by an historically dominant opponent.
“It was not the result we wanted. I told them that they had nothing to be ashamed of; they gave it all they had, and I love them.”
– Bills head coach Sean McDermott’s postgame message to his team
But unlike those Raiders teams, who had to deal with multiple juggernauts, the Bills’ roadblock is singular: the K.C. Chiefs. No matter how many regular season games Buffalo wins, no matter how impressive Allen looks, it always seems to end the same way – with Mahomes and crew celebrating and the Bills left wondering what more they have to do to finally break through.
Excellence Over Excuses
Some will point to the officiating as the reason Buffalo came up short once more. And while there’s no doubt a few close calls went against them in crucial moments, the Bills know that the Chiefs beat them in all the little details that define greatness.
- Converting a clutch 4th down with a daring Mahomes scramble
- Scoring the winning TD by inches on a bold read-option keeper
- Bringing relentless pressure and forcing Allen into quick decisions
This is the stuff of champions. The razor-thin difference between advancing and going home. The Chiefs simply made a few more season-extending plays in the game’s biggest moments. That’s what separates the dynastic wheat from the challengers’ chaff this time of year.
The Bills now head into another offseason of soul-searching, trying to figure out how to finally solve the Chiefs and scale the AFC’s mountaintop. Meanwhile, Kansas City looks ahead to hosting the AFC title tilt once again, continuing their march toward a historic three-peat and a burgeoning dynasty the likes of which the NFL hasn’t seen since the early 2000s Patriots.
Inches may have determined this game, but miles still separate the Chiefs from the rest of the pack. The referees, try as some might to argue, had little to do with that harsh reality for Buffalo. Kansas City’s unrelenting excellence is the real culprit.
