A controversial series of spots in the Bills-Chiefs game has everyone talking. The biggest one came on a fourth and short quarterback sneak by Josh Allen. The officials ruled he didn’t make the first down, but video replays tell a different story. Using multiple angles and video edits to isolate the ball location, it’s clear Allen had the ball over the line before he was stopped. The ball was under his chin, and when mapped to the field markings, it looked like he reached the line to gain. The spot still went to the Chiefs, and on the very next drive, Patrick Mahomes took over. A scramble, a big pass, and a touchdown followed. That changed the momentum and arguably the outcome.
The other missed spot came earlier, on a third-and-three where Buffalo looked to convert on the outside. The official likely thought Allen’s knee was down and marked the ball a yard short, but slow-mo showed he extended past the line before being touched down. That first missed spot forced the fourth-down attempt and led directly to the failed sneak. The chaotic system of ball-spotting came under fire too. Officials run in from opposite angles and guess on placement without tech support. Whether the back judge or the side judge gets to place the ball can change the outcome by inches. With no microchip in the ball or precise tracking, it’s all guesswork. Buffalo fans may feel robbed, and Allen probably does too. This one looked like it was decided more by officiating mechanics than anything on the field.