(Cutline: Dion Dawkins protects Josh Allen, who went 22-of-37 passing for 237 yards and two touchdowns. John Anderson photo)
By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Columnist
It’s wasn’t “Wide Right” or “13 Seconds” or even a missed 44-yard field goal.
Still, some Bills fans, used to dubious endings, are going to blame a controversial fourth-down measurement for Buffalo’s 32-29 loss to the Chiefs, Sunday night at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium before 73,487 fired-up observers in the AFC Championship Game. Or maybe they’ll choose Dalton Kincaid’s Mark Andrews imitation.
With the Bills up 22-21, quarterback Josh Allen was stopped on fourth-and-less than a yard by a matter of inches at the KC 41. A replay review upheld the call and it set the Chiefs off on a 59-yard touchdown drive that put them up 29-22 after a two-point conversion.
Now Kansas City (17-2), winner of 17 straight one-possession games heads, to New Orleans to face the Eagles (16-3) in Super Bowl LIX at Caesar’s Superdome two weeks hence in a bid to win an unprecedented third straight NFL title.
AFTER the Chiefs took that lead, Buffalo answered with a touchdown that tied it at 29 as quarterback Josh Allen (22-of-37 passing, 237 yards, two touchdowns, sacked twice) threw a fourth-down, 4-yard dart to Curtis Samuel with just over six minutes to play.
Kansas City then drove 51 yards for the Harrison Butker field goal that gave the Chiefs the lead.
Still, Buffalo had 3 1/2 minutes, the two-minute warning and three timeouts to tie or win the game.
But the drive stalled at the Buffalo 47 where Allen faced 4th-and-5.
Under a furious cornerback blitz, the Bills’ seventh-year QB rolled right and lofted a pass that he seemed to be throwing away. Instead the ball floated toward Kincaid, the second-year tight end, who was open and made a dive. As with Andrews, the Ravens star tight end who dropped a two-point conversion that would have tied the divisional playoff game a week earlier, Kincaid had the ball hit his hands and out-stretched arms and it fell incomplete.
It wasn’t an easy catch, but one a pro is expected to make.
Instead the Bills (15-5) lost to the Chiefs in the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons, twice in the AFC Championship game. Coach Sean McDermott, 4-1 versus Kansas City in the regular season, dropped to 0-4 in the playoffs against Andy Reid, his mentor. He’s 7-7 in the post season and has yet to win a road playoff game in five tries.
“WE HAD a short yardage situation where we were up one in the fourth quarter and couldn’t convert but we held them to a field goal,” McDermott said. “We had a chance with the ball in Josh’s hands then we came up a little short when (Kincaid) had a chance to catch the ball.
Of the two key plays, McDermott said, ‘We had a chance to convert there … fourth-and-short and another fourth down late in the game. It looked like we had a chance to catch it and it didn’t work out that way.
“I love Dalton Kincaid … sometimes those work out .. he makes more of those t(catches)han he doesn’t and he’ll make the next one. With the ball in Josh’s hands and three timeouts I felt really good … we were in a good spot to go win the game … but we didn’t convert.”
One galling statistic was Allen’s lack of success in short yardage.
Coming in, he was 13-of-14 on third down and 8-for-8 on fourth. Against the Chiefs, he was 1-of-3on third down and 2-of-3 on fourth, including the measurement that came up short.
Asked why the Bills kept running Allen in those situations on Sunday, McDermott said, “It’s been our best play all year (especially) inside of one yard. Maybe we could have disguised it, but at the end of the day we have confidence in Josh and our offensive line to get those … we’ve been getting them all year.”
IN HIS post-game press conference, Allen tried to hold back tears and his answers were clipped and unemotional.
“It’s not fun (losing),” he said. “To be the champs you have to beat the champs. You can either get it done or you can’t and we didn’t get it done. We want to get it done, but we haven’t been able to.”
In summarizing the loss, McDermott pointed out, “They’re a good football team … they’ve won two Super Bowls, they’ve been to seven straight AFC Championship Games. That not an excuse, they’re a good football team and we’ve got to get over that hump. They’ve won a lot of tough games this year against really good opponents and coaches and I’m proud of this football team … it’s a challenge for us, but we’ll figure it out.
“We played as a team and they gave everything they had.”
NOTES from the Bills 32-29 loss to the Chiefs, Sunday night at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium:
— Bills running back James Cook (13 carries for 85, 2 TDs; 3 receptions for 49 yards) scored on a 12-yard sweep in the first quarter and had a 1-yarder in the third 1giving him 20 rushing scores of the season and 22th TDs for the campaign.
— Mahomes dropped a snap late in the first quarter and Buffalo recovered, but defensive tackle Ed Oliver was flagged for offside. Then, several downs later, Mahomes bobbled the snap again and Oliver recovered. It was Kansas City’s first turnover in eight games … a total of 501 snaps.
— The irony is that the Bills have now not had an interception or lost fumble in the last nine games. Oddly, the Chiefs dropped two interceptions on Allen throws on consecutive plays in the first quarter and, twice in the first half he fumbled but on both occasions Buffalo recovered and. He fumbled again in the fourth quarter and covered it himself. In all the Bills fumbled four times and recovered them all.
— Bills cornerback Christian Benford had been in concussion protocol all week, but started the game . However, late in the first quarter, he collided with safety teammate Damar Hamlin, helmet-to-helmet on a tackle. Benford was taken from the field on a cart and was ruled out of the game with a repeat concussion. He was replaced by former No. 1 draft choice Kaiir Elam whom the Chiefs picked on.
— Coach Sean McDermott, who famously has been vexed by challenges, failed again. He challenged a reception by KC’s Xavier Worthy who wrestled the ball away from rookie safety Cole Bishop. The challenge was overturned meaning McDermott has challenged 38 plays in his eight-year head-coaching career and won 11 of them … 1-of-5 this season.
Bishop had game-highs in tackles (10) and solos (9) while linebacker Matt Milano added nine tackles and eight solos plus a sack and efensive tackle Jordan Phillips also had a sack, the first of the season for both.
— Buffalo’s inactives were safety Taylor Rapp (back/hip), wide receiver/kick returner Brandon Codrington, offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson, offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark, defensive lineman DeWayne Carter and No. 3 quarterback Mike White. Bishop replaced Rapp as starter.
— Kansas City had no inactives who were injured.
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
Read more from Chuck:
• Pollock Prediction: Chiefs 28, Bills 25 (actual score 32-29)
• Allen and the Bills heading to the AFC Championship game
• Josh Allen wants to hear Mr. Brightside against the Ravens
• Win over Richmond gets St. Bonaventure Bonnies ready for A-10 matchup with Duquesne
• Offensive line of the Buffalo Bills knocked out the Broncos
• Pollock Prediction: Broncos loom as a threat but the Bills will win
• McDermott knew the Bills would host the Broncos
• The Bills are waiting to see who they play
• Where the St. Bonaventure victory over VCU ranks in program history
• Josh Allen showed why he should be the NFL MVP
• Pollock Prediction: Bills will beat Jets in a must-win game for playoff seeding
• What happened during those six lost days
• Bills didn’t play with a sense of urgency against the Patriots
• Bills passed a big test against the Lions
• The media missed the point with questions of McDermott
• We did not expect the Rams-Bills results as Josh Allen sets major records
• Will the Bills be motivated against the Rams?
• Schmidt doesn’t want the Bonnies to get caught up in 12-1 talk
• A look at the rise under Sean McDermott
• The snow and the Buffalo Bills were too much for the 49ers
• St. Bonaventure Bonnies put unbeaten hoops record on the line in ESPN Tournament
• Pollock Prediction on San Fran at Buffalo Sunday night game
• A look at Terry Pegula’s beginnings in Olean and his competitive drive to win
• A look at McDermott’s smart play-calling and why aren’t we talking more about James Cook?
• Can the Bills do this to the Chiefs in the playoffs? Josh Allen touchdown run seals victory
• Pollock predicts a one-point Kansas City victory
• What happened to this being a rebuilding season for the Buffalo Bills?
• A dominating performance by the Bills
• Pollock predicts a Bills victory over the Colts on the road
• Thoughts on the 61-yard Bass field goal and where the Bills sit
• Solid win to open the season for the Bonnies
• Bass vindicated by 61-yard field goal to beat the Dolphins
• Bills don’t own the Dolphins but have an option to buy; prediction 27-20 (final was 30-27)
• The season is here for St. Bonaventure basketball
• St. Bonaventure speaks out, “We got Woj”
• Mark Schmidt on the NIL deals and the Bona NIT mess
• Pollock on the passing of St. Bonaventure legend Paul Hoffman
• Pollock on listening to the radio and the days of Willie Mays
• Houghton’s Phil Stockin gets Cazzie Russell to the Castle in Olean and then a title for the Knicks?
• The right hire for St. Bonaventure to lead the athletic department
• The inside story on why WPIG left the Bonnies after 74 years and a Gary Nease update
• Bill Walton was must-see basketball when he played in Buffalo for the Braves
