Getty Taiwan Jones of the Buffalo Bills secures the ball after a muffed punt return by Mecole Hardman of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021.
Whether the Buffalo Bills like it or not, the final two minutes, especially those final 13 seconds, of their AFC playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs on January 23 will be one of the most discussed series of plays until the 2022 NFL season starts.
During a week of media appearances leading up to Super Bowl LVI, Bills quarterback Josh Allen fielded non-stop questions on the heartbreaking overtime 42-36 loss, and during a recent appearance on About the Game Pod, Buffalo’s special teams captain, Taiwan Jones, broke his silence on what was arguably the most exciting playoff games in NFL history.
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For Jones, it appears enough time has passed since the devastating defeat against the Chiefs to speak about what went wrong at the end of the game. The 33-year-old running back was asked point-blank as to why they didn’t just squib the kick at the end, instead of letting kicker Tyler Bass send the ball into the endzone, which gave the Chiefs solid field position for those final 13 seconds.
At first, Jones, who was out on the field during that final kickoff, gives a pretty vanilla answer. “Without getting too much into it, it was just communication issues,” Jones said. “It was a big factor that there was miscommunication.”
Without directly placing the blame on anyone, Jones continued on to say that he was looking forward to making a huge play on special teams, but was robbed of that opportunity.
Interesting to hear #Bills Special Teams Captain, Taiwan Jones, discuss the squib debate at the end of the KC playoff game on a recent podcast. “Without getting too much into it… it’s just communication issues.”
📽️: @Aboutthegamepod
“Me being on the kickoff team, I was looking forward to that moment,” Jones said. “When you’re on special teams, you don’t really get in the spotlight or nothing like that. So that was a key moment for special teams guys where it’s like, ‘Oh, we can make a difference in this game.’ To not get that chance it was like, ‘Ooh.’ And then for it to happen like that? It was just like [intense sigh].”
Jones Said He’s Been Burned by the Chiefs 3x Before, Knew 13 Seconds was Enough Time for Patrick Mahomes
GettyTaiwan Jones #34 of the Houston Texans is tackled by Kevin Johnson #29 of the Buffalo Bills after a 34-yard reception during overtime in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at NRG Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Houston, Texas.
While losing to the Chiefs in back-to-back years in the playoffs is a tough pill to swallow for Bills Mafia, Jones, who was a member of the Houston Texans during the 2019 NFL season, has suffered three gut punches by Kansas City’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“But again 13 seconds,” Jones said, “You’re not thinking it’s the end of the world. I will say this brought, this was my third time getting sent home by Kansas City,” recalling the 2020 playoff game during which the Texans were up 24-0 at the half, but ending up losing the game 51-31.
On This Day, 1 Year Ago…
24-0 down…
Then 7 drives and 7 touchdowns.
@Chiefs thrilling comeback against the Texans!
“When I was on that sideline that year, I felt our energy — I felt them take our energy. I leave, I come back to Buffalo and you know, it wasn’t as close last year. Fast forward to now, on that sideline with 13 seconds— I was still uneasy. I knew the game wasn’t done.”
Jones Heads Into the 2022 Season as a Free Agent
While Jones clearly loves playing with Buffalo, especially alongside a superstar quarterback like Allen, he enters the 2022 NFL season as a free agent.
The veteran running back recorded six special teams tackles during the 2021 season, but with the Bills being so tight against the salary cap, Buffalo may not be able to afford him next year.
Spectrum News 1 reported Jon Scott noted on February 14, “Special teams ace held true to his role this season. However, with Bills cap restrictions and Jones turning 34, bringing him back strictly as a gunner and special teamer seems like a stretch. Never say never, but might be a role fit for younger and cheaper options.”
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