Bills GM Brandon Beane addresses controversial 4th down call that cost Buffalo the AFC Championship
The fourth down call cost Buffalo Bills a chance to score and gave ball possession to Kansas City.
Follow Us
Brandon Beane disagrees with the referees' decisions in the matchup against the Chiefs (Image Credits: AP/YouTube)
The AFC Championship game lived up to the hype. It was a nail-biting thriller that delivered as promised, however, it was not a game without its fair share of controversies. As Buffalo lost 29-32, the team had multiple opportunities to turn things around.
However, the Bills were hindered by the officiating, according to Buffalo’s General Manager Brandon Beane. The 4th down call at the start of the fourth quarter was one such call. Despite a Herculean effort from Buffalo’s offensive line, the team’s quarterback sneak was unsuccessful and cost them a chance to score.
It was hard to determine if Josh Allen had fallen short of the first down line because all the players had crowded into the middle. Beane shared his two cents on the play at his recent press conference.
It’s frustrating. There’s only so much I can say. We worked with the league to try to get clarity, and I’ll give them credit. They’ve taken our calls and sent videos…if you’re talking about the fourth down play, I feel like he got that. I still feel like he got that. I felt that in the moment and nothing has changed my mind on that.
a visibly distraught Brandon Beane said
Despite Buffalo’s appeal to the NFL after the game, the league justified the decision taken by the referees.
Brandon Beane’s facial expressions communicated his helplessness and frustration over the outcome of the AFC Championship
The GM was confident about this roster and their worthiness of making it to the Super Bowl. To fall short yet again is not a pleasant experience. The 4th down call was not the only play in question.
Earlier in the second quarter, a catch by Xavier Worthy came under scrutiny because there was trouble determining if the wideout had secured the ball before it hit the ground.
The referees ruled it as a catch and Kansas City scored on the subsequent play. The Bills challenged this call but to no luck.
The play that we challenged, I thought that was a good challenge, I’m not sure either player had possession on the Bishop-Worthy play. When the ball touched the ground, you have to have possession…when the ball touches the ground, someone has to have possession.
Beane expressed reservations about the officials’ decision to uphold the catch as being valid
#Bills GM Brandon Beane says he still believes Josh Allen converted on 4th down and nothing has changed his mind—even after speaking with the league.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 30, 2025
He also addressed the Xavier Worthy play that was ruled a catch.
His full answer:pic.twitter.com/8aV01ZfI3s
The GM brought up an interesting point. He spoke about the diverse definitions of what constitutes a possession amongst referees. What one referee may consider as possession may not be considered possession by another. Despite the gut-wrenching loss, Brandon Beane is not blaming their loss on these calls.
It is what it is, those are just plays we didn’t make…by no means are we saying that’s why we lost the game.
Brandon Beane added
Buffalo will continue to watch yet another Super Bowl from their homes. Despite a phenomenal outing by Josh Allen and the offense this season, they still faltered in front of their divisional rivals.
Stay Updated!
Sumedh Joshi
(2280 Articles Published)