Josh Allen and the Bills lost another close AFC championship game to the Chiefs. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
The Buffalo Bills gambled and lost on a critical fourth-down play late in Sunday’s AFC championship game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The play involved a controversial spot that was upheld on replay review. Buffalo led by one point at the time of the play and went on to lose the game, 32-29.
Did Josh Allen get to the line of gain here?
With Buffalo holding a 22-21 lead and 13:01 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Bills went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Kansas City 41-yard line. They called a quarterback sneak for Josh Allen. The Chiefs stood Allen up near the line of scrimmage, but Allen appeared to gain just enough ground to reach the line of gain at the 40-yard line.
Sideline angles appeared to show that the ball just reached the 40-yard line, but a clear view of the ball was blocked on both angles that didn’t provide a definitive view.
Officials ruled Allen short on the field, then reviewed the play on replay. After review, referee Clete Blakeman announced that