Dalton Kincaid's teammates have his back, even after the worst moment of his young career.
On Sunday night during the AFC championship game, the Buffalo Bills tight end dropped a crucial fourth down pass that could have given his team a first down and put them in a position to win or tie the game. The drop gave the Kansas City Chiefs possession of the ball with 1:55 remaining in the game and they were able to kill the clock and escape with a 32-29 win.
After the game, plenty of fans online were ripping Kincaid for failing to come down with the pass. Even CBS broadcaster Tony Romo said the 25-year-old should have made the catch.
On Monday, Bills quarterback Josh Allen defended Kincaid and took the blame for some of the second-year tight end's shortcomings this season.
"I got to be better for him. I didn't feel like I put him in enough good situations this year, ball-placement-wise," Allen said. "... He can sit there and think about that play over and over, but I got to be better for him. That's what it comes down to, and get him more involved. I know he's been battling throughout the entire year, bumps and bruises and probably games that he shouldn't have played he was in, but he's a tough sucker, and I got nothing but love for him, how he's approached this year. He's going to be so much better next year"
Fellow tight end Dawson Knox voiced his defense of Kincaid too, and said it would have been a really tough catch.
"Watching that play back, I mean he's running full speed one direction. Josh had three guys in his face and just had to throw up a pop fly, and Dalton had to completely change directions and dive for the ball. The fact he even got contact on the ball is impressive, first of all," Knox said.
Knox added that he told Kincaid the team wouldn't have even been in the game if it hadn't been for the way he played.
Linebacker Terrel Bernard also defended his teammate. "I think it's unfair, honestly, to even say [Kincaid lost them the game] and put him in that situation," Bernard said. "There's so many plays that it comes down to throughout a game, and we just didn't make enough of 'em."
Kincaid finished the 2024 season with 44 receptions for 448 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games. That followed a 16-game rookie campaign during which he caught 73 passes for 673 yards and two scores.
More of the Latest Around the NFL
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Josh Allen, Bills Teammates Defend Dalton Kincaid After Key Drop in AFC Title Game.
