We're a week removed from the Bills AFC Championship game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, which came in controversial fashion. Several Bills players and general manager Brandon Beane spoke out about one call in particular, in which quarterback Josh Allen was given an unfavorable spot on a fourth-down QB sneak. To the naked eye it looked as though Allen reached the line to gain, but the call on the field stood, meaning the Bills turned the ball over on downs.
If you're tired of complaining about NFL officials this season, in particular the narrative that the Chiefs get all the calls, you are not alone. Yet, as much as we'd love to focus on the week ahead and an incredible Super Bowl LIX matchup, it's not that simple. The fine folks in Buffalo want answers, the NFL isn't necessarily inclined to provide them.
"If we're talking about the fourth down play, I feel like he got that. I still feel like he got that. I felt that in the moment, and nothing has changed my mind on that," Beane said.
Will the NFL hear the Bills out? Sure, why not
Per the Washington Post, the NFL is 'considering' using an electronic system to mark first downs in the not-so-distant future. That's about as much confirmation as you'll get from the NFL nowadays, especially in the leadup to Super Bowl weekend. However, it is not enough – and understandably so – for Bills fans. Buffalo lost four straight Super Bowls in the 1990's and now find themselves as the odd team out in the midst of Patrick Mahomes dynastic run. It's a tough break, but not one the league itself cares much about.
You see, as long as the NFL is making money hand over first, they will do anything in their power to keep it that way. Something as simple as a rule tweak must go through several revisions before it is put into the rulebook, especially if it undermines the officials.
By placing technology in the football itself or even implementing an 'eye in the sky' system to overrule said referees, the league risks angering both the zebras and Kansas City Chiefs fans. Given the Chiefs are on the precipice of a three-peat and have one of the largest fanbases in the league (thank you Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce), why should they rock the boat?
It's a simplistic viewpoint, yes, but one the NFL takes most seriously. At the end of the day, dollars and cents mean more to them than the hurt feelings of one fanbase.