Written by DAVE SKRETTA, Sports Writer for the Associated Press.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Sean McDermott thought for a moment that a difficult week for himself and the Buffalo Bills would end with one last gut punch, an audacious touchdown pass by the Kansas City Chiefs with just over a minute left to steal a win Sunday.

The coach of the Bills noticed the presence of a yellow flag on the field.

The 49-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce, which was then lateraled to Kadarius Toney, was nullified due to an offside penalty by Toney.

After successfully preventing the Chiefs from scoring, the Bills left Arrowhead Stadium with a thrilling and confusing 20-17 win.

McDermott stated that during the course of the play, Kelce was able to get open with ease. After he caught the ball, McDermott witnessed an unprecedented play in the NFL. However, he also noticed the referees indicating a specific direction. He was unsure if it was a pick or something else, but it was later revealed to be an offside penalty.

It is uncommon for an offensive player to be called offside. However, upon reviewing replays, it was evident that Toney’s foot had crossed the line of scrimmage.

Mahomes was still dissatisfied with the call and approached three officials seeking clarification. Even Chiefs coach Andy Reid remained upset as he exited the locker room.

Reid expressed discomfort with the National Football League due to that occurrence.

The Chiefs (8-5) faced questionable officiating for the second consecutive week. In their previous game against Green Bay, they were disappointed that pass interference was not called on a pass thrown to Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the final minutes of the match.

Mahomes expressed his frustration, stating, “I am at a loss for words. Once again, we are discussing the referees and it reflects poorly on the NFL.”

It proved advantageous for the Bills (7-6), providing much-needed positivity.

At the start of the week, there were concerns surrounding Von Miller, a pass rusher for the team, who surrendered to authorities during their break and is now accused of third-degree felony assault against a pregnant woman. As the week came to a close, criticism was directed towards McDermott for using the events of September 11, 2001 as a lesson on communication in a team meeting back in 2019. He found himself apologizing once again, similar to when he recognized his error four years ago.

“I am filled with gratitude. I am thankful for numerous blessings,” expressed McDermott. “Many individuals have reached out, including Andy Reid and his staff after the game. I am familiar with several coaches on their team and they truly exemplify class. I am grateful for their gestures.”

Josh Allen of the Bills passed for 233 yards and scored both a rushing and throwing touchdown, but he also had an interception for the ninth game in a row. James Cook contributed 58 rushing yards and caught five passes for 83 yards, scoring a touchdown as well.

The Bills had a record of 2 wins and 6 losses in games with a margin of six points or less. In three of those losses, they had given up a lead in the last two minutes.

“It may not have been the most aesthetically pleasing victory. We are all aware of that,” stated Allen. “However, the defense performed exceptionally well.”

Mahomes threw for 271 yards and one touchdown, along with an interception. Rashee Rice also had seven receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. However, these efforts were not sufficient to prevent the Chiefs from suffering their fourth loss in six games.

“It’s a test of our determination,” remarked Chiefs guard Trey Smith. “We need to find the strength to push through. We still have more games ahead of us.”

The Chiefs once again struggled with poor starts during their game on Sunday. Early on, Mahomes threw an interception to A.J. Epenesa and the team was forced to punt on their next three series. It wasn’t until the end of the first half that Kansas City finally managed to put together a successful drive, resulting in a touchdown run by Jerick McKinnon.

At that moment, the Bills had already scored two touchdowns.

Reworded: The initial score was made when Cook, who was not being closely watched, received a pass from Allen and easily ran 25 yards for a touchdown. The second score occurred after a 73-yard drive, with Allen running the ball and being stopped at the Kansas City 4-yard line. However, the entire Bills offense rallied behind him and pushed into the end zone.

If the Eagles have the “tush push,” the Bills offered their “team trample.”

After the break, Buffalo scored a field goal, but Kansas City regained momentum. Mahomes guided a 75-yard drive, resulting in Rice’s touchdown catch. Their defense then forced two consecutive punts before Butker’s field goal tied the game with 11 1/2 minutes remaining.

The Bills had one last scoring drive in them, which ended with Tyler Bass’ go-ahead field goal with 1:54 left in the game.

The Chiefs believed they had, but were proven wrong when a penalty flag was thrown on the field.

Mahomes expressed frustration during his postgame press conference, stating that in his seven-year career in the National Football League, he had never seen a call for an offensive offside. He questioned the timing of the call, asking why it was made with only a minute remaining in the game.

INJURIES

The Buffalo team suffered a loss in the first quarter when Epenesa was injured, not long after making an impressive interception. FS Micah Hyde also had to leave the game in the first half due to a stinger, and was replaced by Taylor Rapp in the second half.

Kansas City RB Isiah Pacheco (shoulder), LT Donovan Smith (neck) and LB Drue Tranquill (concussion) were inactive.

UP NEXT

The Buffalo team has a game scheduled against Dallas on the upcoming Sunday.

Next Sunday, New England will host Kansas City.

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“The Associated Press NFL hub is available at the following link: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl”

Source: wralsportsfan.com