NFL rules analyst Gene Steratore shared his opinion on the controversial fourth-down spot that handed the Kansas City Chiefs an advantage against the Buffalo Bills at a critical juncture during last night’s AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead.
In perhaps what was the biggest play of the game, Buffalo opted to go for it on fourth down at KC’s 40-yard line in the fourth quarter, with Josh Allen attempting a sneak that looked eerily similar to the much-maligned Brotherly Shove.
One official gave the Bills the first down while the other marked them short. The play was reviewed, and it was eventually determined that Allen did not get the ball over the line despite replays appearing to show he did.
The turnover on downs ended up being costly for the Bills, who were up by a single point and were close to field-goal range at the time. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes punched in a touchdown on a rushing play to hand his team a lead that they would not relinquish.
Steratore, a rules analyst for CBS, called what he saw during the broadcast. “I felt like he gained it by about a third of the football, Jim. That was just my take on the play. Tough, tough play,” he told Jim Nantz.
Kansas City Chiefs Go 4-0 Against Buffalo Bills
Allen and the Bills have now lost all four of their playoff games against the Chiefs since 2020, with Mahomes getting the better of them each time.
The Bills QB completed 22 of 34 attempts for two touchdowns, adding 39 yards on the ground. He didn’t throw any interceptions but did get sacked twice.
The Kansas City Chiefs will now face the Philadelphia Eagles in a Super Bowl 57 rematch in New Orleans on February 9 in the hopes of becoming the first three-peat champions in the modern NFL era.
