The Buffalo Bills’ season came to a gut-wrenching end in the AFC Championship Game, and fans still aren’t over it. A controversial call on Josh Allen’s “tush push” attempt in the fourth quarter, along with other borderline calls that favored the Chiefs, left many questioning whether the reigning Super Bowl champs were once again benefiting from some bad officiating.
Bills’ James Cook Says ‘Don’t Give a Ref Nothing To Call’
Emotions were running high as Bills running back James Cook addressed the growing frustration over the refereeing decisions in Buffalo’s 32-29 loss to Kansas City. On the “Kickin’ It With Dee” podcast, Cook was asked how players handle officiating controversies.
“I’m going to give you the realest answer I can ever give you, bro. At the end of the day, as a man, you gotta come in there ready to go. F*** that ref s***,” Cook said. “You gotta come in that b**** ready to go, ready to play, and don’t give a ref nothing to call.”
“F**k that ref sh*t” 😤#Bills’ RB James Cook gave the realest answer when asked about the referee’s cheating for the #Chiefs.
( @BuffaloFAMbase / @jasrifootball ) pic.twitter.com/snhH1UwfTN
— Kickin It With Dee (@KickinItWithDee) January 30, 2025
Bills fans aren’t the only ones upset. Kansas City’s continued success has led to growing conspiracy theories that the league favors Mahomes and Co. The AFC West juggernaut has now reached four Super Bowls in five seasons, and fans believe they land on the right side of close calls more often than not.
From Mahomes drawing a crucial roughing-the-passer penalty in the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans to Allen’s controversial fourth-quarter spot against Kansas City, the debate isn’t going away anytime soon. Star QB Mahomes also gave his take on the cheating claims. “I don’t feel that way… At the end of the day, the referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they possibly can,” Mahomes said.
“You get new referees every year, you get new circumstances, and you never can really tell because every play’s different, and that’s what makes the NFL so special. I feel like I’ve just continued to play the game, and I just try to win, and whatever happens kind of happens,” the 29-year-old QB added.
This is the kind of play that, starting next season, could be included in NFL replay assist: https://t.co/PyWZGslCi5 pic.twitter.com/tHqRZmV3p6
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 25, 2025
While the NFL has yet to comment on the backlash, changes to replay review could be on the horizon. League insiders suggest that replay assist may expand to include plays like quarterback slides, aiming to reduce human error in crucial moments.