The Buffalo Bills kept their postseason hopes alive by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 20-17 on Sunday, December 10.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Co. took an early two-score lead, but they were only up by a field goal late in the fourth quarter. With 1:25 left in the game, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed a 25-yard pass to tight end Travis Kelce, who lateraled the ball to wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
Toney ran the ball 24 yards for a touchdown, and the game seemed over. However, Toney was flagged for lining up offsides and the score was reversed.
Oh my God, Travis Kelce tossed it to Kadarius Toney, who goes in for the go-ahead touchdown, BUT Toney was offsides on the play.
Speaking to NFL Network’s James Palmer after the game, Allen revealed what was going on his mind when he watched that play unfold. Even if the touchdown held, the game wasn’t over for the Bills star.
“We gotta go score,” Allen said.
The 27-year-old quarterback was still impressed by Kelce’s throw. “That’s the ballsiest play I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Allen noted. “That was unbelievable.”
Josh Allen finished against the Chiefs completing 23-of-42 passes for 233 yards, one touchdown, one rushing score, and an interception. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to record 25 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns in his team’s first 13 games, per The Buffalo News.
Patrick Mahomes Sounded Off the Refs After the Game: They Took ‘Away Greatness’
Wow. Patrick Mahomes is HEATED on the sideline.
Mahomes, who rarely loses his cool during games, was livid at the offensive offsides call. Speaking to reporters after the game, his response was much different than Allen’s while discussing Kelce’s incredible play.
“It’s obviously tough to swallow. Not only for me, but for football in general, just to take away greatness like that,” Mahomes said. “Who knows if we win? But I know as fans, you want to see the guys on the field decided the game… [The officials] are human men, they make mistakes. But every week we’re talking about something. Another great football game that ended like that is just tough.”
Mahomes said that in his seven years in the league, he’s never seen offensive offsides called. Shaking Allen’s hand after the game, Mahomes complained. “Wildest f****** call I’ve ever seen,” he told Allen.
However, CBS Sports Rules Analyst Gene Steratore called the penalty beyond obvious.
Steratore posted, “When officiating the line of scrimmage, general philosophy is not to be overly technical and split hairs over very minor infractions (such as a receiver’s hand slightly breaking the LOS). However, when an infraction is so egregious and obvious, a flag has to be thrown.
“Toney is blatantly lined up offside and in the neutral zone. You rarely see an offsides penalty on the offense, but that is not because this play in #BUFvsKC isn’t a foul. It is because a receiver rarely lines up offsides.”
Head referee Carl Cheffers shared a similar sentiment in a pool report after the game. Cheffers called Toney’s position an “egregious violation.”
The Bills can certainly understand the frustration over poor officiating, it was the main issue during their 37-34 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles before the bye. However, in Toney’s case, only the Chiefs seem to believe the penalty was unnecessary.
Josh Allen Is Already Focused on Facing the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15
Did I just watch Josh Allen truck nearly the entire Chiefs defense into the endzone? Yes, yes I did ….insane Lolol
After defeating the Chiefs (8-5), the Bills schedule doesn’t get any easier. Next up, the Bills host the Dallas Cowboys at Highmark Stadium.
When Palmer asked Allen if he’s already looking toward on Week 15, “Yeah, it’s all we can do,” he said. “Celebrate this one tonight. Turn on the tape, figure out what we gotta fix. And then turn to Dallas.”
At 7-6, the Bills are currently tied with six other AFC teams. However, due to the conference tiebreakers, Buffalo remains in 11th place. After watching the Bills defeat Kansas City, The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen wrote, “The Bills will always have a chance with Josh Allen, but I’m not sure if their defense will be up to the task of containing the Cowboys’ offense, who they’ll face next week, or the Dolphins’ offense, who they’ll see in Week 18.
“They contained the Dolphins early in the season, but their defense has lost a lot of talent to injury since then, and the Dolphins are improved. I’m not optimistic about the Bills’ chances of winning those games to put themselves in good position to make the playoffs.”
Allen has said the Bills perform best with their backs are against the wall, now it’s time to prove it.
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Bills QB Josh Allen’s 4-Word Reaction to Chiefs TE Travis Kelce’s Throw