In the days since the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the AFC championship game, countless NFL fans and pundits all seemed to agree on one thing: Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who was ruled short of the first down during a fourth-and-inches play in the fourth quarter of the title game, gained enough yardage to pick up the first down.
Even the announcers on the broadcast and Dean Blandino, former NFL Vice President of Officiating, thought Allen had gained the necessary yardage. But in a sea of the same opinions, one contrarian take is standing out.
Two-time Super Bowl champion and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy took to Twitter and shared his unpopular opinion, that Allen was short on the quarterback sneak.
Am I the only one that doesn’t think he got it on the QB sneak??
— Kyle Van Noy (@KVN_03) January 29, 2025
As Van Noy makes clear in a couple of ensuing replies to fans on X, he took exception to the absolute conviction that fans and pundits seemed to have in their belief that Allen had picked up the first down.
And perhaps more importantly, pointed out that the play right before the controversial QB sneak, in which Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid caught a pass for two yards on a third down and was ruled short of a first down, deserved more criticism for the officiating crew.
Van Noy is not alone in his opinion about the play involving Kincaid, though. Internet personality and baseball commentator Jomboy in a recent video pointed out how the officials seemed to miss the fact that the Bills tight end was able to reach for the first down marker before his knee hit the ground.
One thing is for sure. The controversial fourth down play involving Allen likely won't be forgotten for quite some time, especially in Buffalo.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ravens Defender Offers Contrarian Take on Controversial Josh Allen Play.
