The loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game continues to sting within the Buffalo Bills. Last Sunday’s game had several decisive moments, but team general manager Brandon Beane continues to point to the referees’ decision on a fourth down and inches that could have changed the course of the game.
With just over 13 minutes to go until the final whistle and up 22-21, head coach Sean McDermott decided to take a chance on fourth down. However, the referees ruled that quarterback Josh Allen had fallen short, and the Bills had to turn the ball over.
The Chiefs would take advantage of the “gift” to take a 29-22 lead and win the game by a tight score of 32-29. Beane, however, continues to criticize the referee’s decision, as he believes that Allen did go over the mark and nothing will make him change his mind.
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It was a frustrating call: Allen
At a press conference on Thursday, the Bills GM did not hide his feelings about the controversial play. “It’s frustrating,” admitted Beane, “There’s only so much I can say. We work with the league to try to get clarity and I’ll give them credit, they’ve taken our calls, they’ve sent video and things like that.”
Despite everything, Beane is still convinced that the officials made a mistake. “If you’re talking about like the fourth-down play, I feel like he [Allen] got that. I feel like he got that, I felt that in the moment and nothing has changed my mind on that,” he said.
And that’s not the only complaint Beane has about the officiating in that game. “The play that we challenged I tought it was a good challenge,” he said of a Xavier Worthy reception in the first half. “I’m not sure the player had possession on the [safety Cole] Bishop-Worthy play, when the ball touched the ground.”
The Bills will keep trying
Beane is aware, however, that there were many other factors that contributed to their loss to the Chiefs. “It is what it is, those are just like plays we didn’t make in the game, too,” the manager admitted. “By no means are we saying that’s why we lost the game.”
So, as the Chiefs head to New Orleans for their third consecutive Super Bowl, the Bills have no choice but to keep fighting. “That’s my mentality. That’s our mentality. We are not giving in. We’re not. We’re frustrated. We want to win.”