Ball don't lie: 3 worst calls that helped Chiefs get to Super Bowl at expense of Bills

The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills delivered another playoff heavyweight clash on Sunday night in the AFC Championship Game. From the jump, the game was back-and-forth at Arrowhead Stadium but, unfortunately, what marred a great football game was the refs once again playing a major role in the action as the Chiefs pulled out a nail-biter to head to the Super Bowl for the third straight year.

Officiating being on the side of the Chiefs is nothing new to these playoffs. There have been calls from fans, the Houston Texans, and many in-between that the Chiefs have been consistently getting a favorable whistle from the refs. On Sunday in the AFC title matchup, there were more than a few times where the Bills had to feel that way as well.

Specifically, these three calls are going to haunt the Bills as they certainly helped the Chiefs get back to the Super Bowl at Buffalo's expense.

3. Bills called for unsportsmanlike conduct after Travis Kelce taunting

Throughout Sunday night's matchup, Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce and Bills safety Damar Hamlin were getting after it. Hamlin was called for a number of penalties which, pretty much unanimously, looked to be the right call with holds and getting too handsy down the field. However, it was what happened after some physicality between the two that really raised some eyebrows.

On the Chiefs' third touchdown of the night, a one-yard Mahomes run, Kelce was blocking Hamlin to help his quarterback get into the end zone. After the score, though, the Kansas City tight end was jawing hardcore with Hamlin in what could've been construed as a taunting-level incident. But in doing so, he drew the attention of Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who came in and hit Kelce.

Naturally, it was Phillips who drew the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. However, when you could've thrown a flag for taunting, that's a tough draw, even if the flag ultimately didn't end up being all that costly to the Bills as it only affected the extra point. But, you know, what if that extra point was 15 yards farther away? It was a game of inches (literally) and this definitely swung the Chiefs' way.

2. Xavier Worthy's catch was a 50-50 call that, of course, went the Chiefs way

In the first half of the contest, it was a back-and-forth affair as the Chiefs struck first, the Bills took the lead, then the Chiefs took it back. But in taking it back and then extending it to 21-10 at one point, there came some controversy with a Xavier Worthy catch deep in Buffalo territory.

On a third-and-5 play from the 29-yard line, Mahomes threw what could best be described as a prayer to Worthy who was draped by a pair of Bills defenders. Worthy and Bills defensive back Cole Bishop both made an incredible play on the ball but Worthy came away with it and the refs ruled it a catch. Sean McDermott then challenged it, though, and the replay showed he might've had a point.

It seemed like both Worthy and Bishop hit the ground with a hand on the ball but that the ball also made contact with the ground with the Chiefs wideout seemingly using it to help him maintain control through all of the contact. The officials, however, didn't see it that way, letting the call stand and the Bills losing their challenge.

That set up a Chiefs touchdown, as mentioned, to put them ahead by two possessions. While the Bills came back to retake the lead in the second half, there's an argument to be made that Kansas City should've only been able to push the lead to 17-10 instead of 21-10 on that drive at the time.

1. Josh Allen being ruled short of a first down was laughable

You have to wonder how much different the fourth quarter would've been if not for this call. Early in the final frame of the AFC Championship Game, the Bills faced fourth-and-1 from the Chiefs' 41-yard line and decided to go for it. Why wouldn't you when you have Josh Allen under center. So they ran the sneak with their behemoth quarterback but that's when calamity unfolded.

After the run that seemingly had Allen right at the line to gain, one official ran in signaling that Allen had gotten enough for the first down. But another came in from the other sideline marking Allen and Buffalo short of the line-to-gain. The refs ultimately ruled him short, which would result in a turnover on downs, and went to the review booth. They said the call stood, giving the ball back to the Chiefs with Buffalo ahead just 22-21.

Even on the CBS broadcast, Tony Romo and Jim Nantz (along with rules expert Gene Steratore) all disagreed with the ruling. And watching the replay, it looks like, at minimum, that Allen made it to the 40-yard line he needed to get to for the first down. While I understand that they need irrefutable video evidence and this was a close play where that'd be hard to find, making that call in that moment is brutal.

With the Bills driving with the lead, would that have made this a Buffalo runaway? Would the Chiefs have mounted a comeback still? It's impossible to say but we'll certainly never know because of the officials' choice to let the play stand.