Andy Reid reacted after his Kansas City Chiefs squad defeated the Buffalo Bills in controversial fashion.
Andy Reid conceded that his Kansas City Chiefs were ‘fortunate’ to defeat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game, citing a contentious ruling in favor of the NFL champs.
The Chiefs profited from various questionable decisions by referee Clete Blakeman at vital points in the game, with some fans calling it ‘one of the worst officiated games in history’.
Kansas City went on to defeat the Bills 32-29, but there was some concern about how they had secured their third consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
Reid, who will be attempting to win his fourth Super Bowl ring when they face the Philadelphia Eagles on February 9, acknowledged that fortune played a significant role in their victory.
“Literally a game of inches,” Reid said after Sunday’s victory in Kansas City. “We were lucky to be on that side of it, where we had the most inches.
“This came down to an inch, literally.” That’s what the stop was about. It was back-and-forth. It was going to be back-and-forth.
“Whoever possessed the ball last was probably going to come out in the lead and [with] the win. But I’m pleased of our troops battling.”
Reid’s remark may not come as a surprise given that the veteran coach, 66, is regarded as one of the NFL’s most diplomatic leaders, even when discussing moves that benefit his team.
His remarks were especially noteworthy after an incident involving Josh Allen attracted widespread condemnation from fans and commentators alike.
With 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Allen and the Bills were up 22-21 when they moved the ball to the Chiefs’ 41-yard line on a fourth-down play.
Allen only needed a yard to get the first down and accepted the snap from his center, Connor McGovern, appearing to move his body and the ball over the 40-yard line. However, a referee on the sideline felt Allen was short of the line, thus the play was reviewed.
Despite replays appearing to show the quarterback had reached the yellow line, the referees confirmed their ruling would stand as cheers emerged from fans inside Arrowhead Stadium.
However, Bills coach Sean McDermott disagreed with the on-field call and felt his star QB had got the crucial first down, which would’ve allowed his team to continue their attacking drive instead of turning the ball over to the Chiefs.
“I thought he had it,” McDermott said of Allen. “Just short of the line was actually the first down.
“What it looked like to me, when it was sitting next to me, was the first down. It looked like he got to it. That’s all I can say.”
Allen did not mention the incidents in his post-match interview, instead saying: “It’s not fun [to lose]. To be the champs, you’ve got to beat the champs and we didn’t do it tonight.”
