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- Sunday’s AFC Divisional game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills is already being hailed as one of the greatest games in NFL history.
- The Chiefs were able to tie the game by driving 44 yards in just 13 seconds.
- The NFL world can’t understand why the Bills didn’t squib kick the ball.
The Divisional Round of the 2021-22 NFL playoffs is being hailed as the greatest weekend in the history of the league, and rightfully so, as all four games had either game-winning or game-tying field goals at the end of regulation.
The lone game-tying field goal, though, came in the AFC Divisional game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. Trailing by three points with just 13 seconds left, Patrick Mahomes was able to drive the Chiefs from their 25 yards line into field goal range, setting up Harrison Butker to hit a 48-yard field goal.
The reason that the Chiefs had 13 seconds left on the clock following the Bills lead-taking touchdown is that Buffalo opted not to squib kick the ball with just 13 seconds left, which is a decision that thoroughly perplexed the NFL world. Had the Bills decided to squib kick it, it would’ve knocked 3-5 seconds off the clock and would’ve potentially prevented the Chiefs from having the time to kick a game-tying field goal.
You are correct Andrew. Buffalo definitely needed squib that last kickoff in regulation and forced KC to return it. That would have given the Chiefs just one play. https://t.co/1JgsImHknp
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) January 24, 2022
If the Bills squib kick they win they game.
— Quincy Avery (@QuincyAvery) January 24, 2022
why didn’t the bills squib that kick
— Jessica Smetana (@jessica_smetana) January 24, 2022
McDermott was asked if they thought about a squib kick with 13 seconds left to waste more of the clock. "We talk about a lot of things. I'm just going to leave it at execution and it starts with me."
— Bradley Gelber (@BradleyGelber) January 24, 2022
We'll hear a lot about the unfairness of overtime rules. But the Bills kicked it in the end zone with 13 seconds left rather than using 4-6 seconds with a squib kick. And then let KC get in FG position.
But what a game..— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) January 24, 2022
Agree with Nance and Romo that Buffalo should have squib-kicked with 13 seconds left to burn some clock. McDermott blew that. Instead, Mahomes had time to hit Tyreek for 19 and (worse) Kelce for 25, setting up a 48-yard tying field goal.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 24, 2022
Re the squib kick— the trauma of Music City, fear it goes out of bounds, it’s downed immediately and gives Mahomes a super short field. Decision doesn’t bother me a lot. Defense giving up the entire field to the speedsters while KC has timeouts—gah. Play aggressive.
— Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) January 24, 2022
Bills made a big mistake with a touchback instead of a squib kick that would take time off the clock.
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) January 24, 2022
The Bills should have squib kicked with 13 seconds left. I will die on that hill.
— Isaac (@WorldofIsaac) January 24, 2022
Man you gotta squib that with 13 seconds
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 24, 2022
Hate that Bills didn’t squib kickoff to run some time off the clock.
Major error IMO.
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) January 24, 2022
Biggest second guess of the night. Essentially showed no confidence in their ability to squib/pop it up/cover a normal kick effectively. https://t.co/KgaiZ9Qcly
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) January 24, 2022
With their electric overtime victory over Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs will host Joe Burrow and the upstart Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship game next Sunday. Meanwhile, in the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams — coming off of their upset of the defending champion Tampa Bua Bucs — will host Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.
RELATED: Bills QB Josh Allen Speaks Out On NFL’s Much-Maligned Overtime Rules