BroBible
The Buffalo Bills came up a few points shy of booking their ticket to Super Bowl LIX in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. That AFC Championship matchup wasn’t decided until the final minutes of play.
Trailing 32-29 on their final offensive drive, the Bills did their best to either take the lead or send the game to overtime. Josh Allen and Co. came up just short.
Buffalo began that possession with about three-and-a-half minutes left in regulation. They started at their own 30-yard line before moving their way towards midfield.
Facing a crucial fourth-and-five, the offense needed to move the chains in order to keep those Super Bowl dreams alive. Unfortunately, they’d be unable to do so.
Allen received pressure immediately after taking the snap. He heaved a prayer to tight end Dalton Kincaid, which slipped through his hands to effectively end the game.
GRAPHIC: Bills fans don’t watch this pic.twitter.com/CFpzVOgWFT
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 27, 2025
The Chiefs would be able to run out the clock upon getting the ball back to win. The Bills are now left with, ‘what if?’
The final play has been a talking point for a few different reasons. Much of that talk centered on Kincaid’s inability to haul in the pass as he dove to the ground. It was a tough catch, but one that could’ve been made. A new discussion has been started in the days following the loss, however.
Benjamin Solak is an NFL analyst at ESPN. He broke down the failed fourth-down attempt after the fact. Solak suggests that Josh Allen made the wrong decision. Rather than throw to the middle of the field, he should’ve swung a pass out wide to the flats.
Khalil Shakir ran a swing route on that last play, but due to Kansas City’s defensive alignment, he wasn’t Allen’s top option. Shakir is seen motioning in the backfield before splitting out after the snap.
That motion helped Buffalo decipher whether the Chiefs were playing man or zone defense. Had they played man, Shakir might’ve been the first look. They played zone, leading Allen to look elsewhere after the snap.
Solak notes that the Bills have used this play design in the past. In each instance mentioned, the defense was in man-to-man coverage.
Making matters worse, Josh Allen was met with immediate pressure from a Kansas City blitz. With little time to throw, the quarterback did his best to find an open target. He came close, but the play ultimately resulted in a turnover on downs.
Solak’s suggesting that Shakir should’ve been the targeted receiver was met with much criticism from NFL players. Former Buffalo Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was one of the loudest critics.
I actually really like your passion and knowledge for the game but sitting in your comfortable swivel chair with the heater on in the house and a clicker in hand makes the game very easy
Having two unblocked, unimpeded defenders believe it...
