Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was so sure that he crossed the first-down marker during a critical fourth-quarter play against the Kansas City Chiefs that he was walking back onto the field during a replay review, ready to get into the huddle for the next play.
But officials saw it the other way, ruling on that critical AFC Championship play that the Chiefs stopped Allen short of the line. The play sparked national controversy and led the NFL to change its rules on spotting first downs, and now Allen is sharing his thoughts on how it all went down.
Josh Allen Was Confident He Crossed the Line
In an appearance on the “Bussing With The Boys” podcast this week, Allen was asked about his thoughts during the replay review. The Bills had gone for it on 4th-and-1 inside Kansas City territory, calling a quarterback sneak where Allen dived forward to his left.
Replays appeared to show that at least half of the ball crossed over the line as Allen surged forward, but it was spotted short and the call was upheld on replay. That came after another controversial spot on the previous play, when running back James Cook appeared to cross the first-down marker by more than a yard but it was called short.
“I was walking back on the field because I saw on the Jumbotron,” Allen said. “That angle where it sure does look like I crossed. I was like, ‘They’re calling this a first down. There’s no way they can’t.’ And I was wrong, so it wasn’t.”
The play was pivotal to the Bills losing the game and falling short of the Super Bowl. Instead of driving with the potential to give the Bills a two-score lead, the ball went back to the Chiefs and they seized the lead with a touchdown on their next drive to take the lead.
Others Thought Bills Got Short End of Bad Call
Allen was far from the only one to think he crossed the line to gain. During the CBS broadcast of the game, network rules analyst Gene Steratore said he thought Allen clearly made the first down.
“I felt like he gained it by a third of the football,” Steratore said, admitting it was a “tough call.”
Speaking to reporters in a season-ending news conference, Bills general manager Brandon Beane also expressed frustration with the call.
“It’s frustrating,” Beane told reporters. “You know, 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.
“If you’re talking about the fourth-down play … I feel like he got that. And I still feel like he got that. I felt that in the moment. Nothing has changed my mind on that.”
The Bills may not face such a controversial call again. The league implemented a new rule for the upcoming season using Sony’s Hawk-Eye cameras to automate measurements of potential first down plays.
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