The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills despite a number of dubious calls (Image: Getty)
The are heading to the Super Bowl again after overcoming the Buffalo Bills 32-29 on Sunday, but the game has been shrouded in controversy after several controversial refereeing decisions.
The NFL champions are on track to claim a third successive triumph after getting the better of Josh Allen and the Bills in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night.
Andy Reid’s side trailed 22-21 heading into the fourth quarter, but quarterback Patrick Mahomes dug deep to lead the Chiefs’ offensive charge and clinch victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
The 29-year-old threw one touchdown pass and rushed for two more in an influential display, where he racked up 245 passing yards and ran with the ball for 43 yards.
But the officials have found themselves under scrutiny after a series of decisive calls went in the Chiefs’ favour.
Fans are social media were seemingly unhappy at how they escaped punishment for a litany of offences, with the game dubbed as ‘one of the worst officiated in history’ by MLFootball.
The first call fans are alleging is incorrect saw Xavier Worthy’s catch marked as complete, despite there being some doubt about whether the wide receiver had control of the ball before it hit the ground.
Then the main match referee, Clete Blakeman, was overruled by the official standing in the Chiefs area on the sidelines after their play on the fourth down. Instead of facing another first down, the Chiefs received possession of the ball.
Tempers flared during the Chiefs vs Bills AFC Championship Game (Image: Getty)
Other instances included Kansas City being present in the neutral zone on the fourth-down play, which was apparently ignored by the referees. Such an infraction would usually be punished with a loss of five yards from the line of scrimmage.
Allen was also ruled to have been short of the first-down line, despite replays showing otherwise, and the Chiefs won back the ball.
In another odd decision, the clock timed out on the Chiefs play as it reached ’00’ – which again would result in a five-yard penalty. But the referee decided to allow the game to move into the two-minute warning zone, allowing them the chance to delay the game in the second quarter.
Further minor offences such as blocking on punt returns and a grab of Brown’s helmet by Kaiir Elam, which resulted in a penalty in the Chiefs’ favour, were also called out.
THREAD….THE ARE HEADING BACK TO THE SUPER BOWL AFTER ONE OF THE WORST OFFICIATED GAMES IN HISTORY.THE GOT SCREWED BY THE REFS, 10 OF THE WORST CALLS EVER…1) THE REFS SOMEHOW RULED THIS A CATCH FOR KC…WILD
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball)
In a game of small margins, with only three points separating the teams, the Bills may have left the stadium feeling aggrieved.
The Chiefs will meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9, in what promises to be an enticing clash between two titans of the NFL.
No team has ever won three straight Super Bowls, with the Saquon Barkley-inspired Philadelphia Eagles now awaiting as their final obstacle in a rematch of Super Bowl 57 after thrashing the Washington Commanders 55-28 in the NFC Championship Game.
But the Chiefs may feel it is their year after scraping past the Bills in the postseason for a second year in a row.