NFL officials convene during a game. Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

NFL inadvertently admits to costly blown call in Bills-Texans playoff game two seasons later?

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 4/11/21

The Buffalo Bills lost to the Houston Texans in the playoffs two seasons ago in part because of a controversial call in overtime. It took more than a year, but the NFL has finally admitted the Bills may have been robbed.

Buffalo and Houston went to overtime tied 19-19 in their 2020 postseason game. The Texans got the ball first, but the Bills stopped them with a three-and-out and had a chance to win the game with a field goal. They were in field goal range after Josh Allen scrambled for four yards on 3rd-and-9 from the Houston 42-yard line, but offensive lineman Cody Ford was called for a blindside block. That backed Buffalo out of field goal range and forced a punt.

The Texans went on to win 22-19. On Friday, the NFL shared a video on Twitter explaining what officials look for with blindside blocks. One of the examples of a clean block that should not have been called was Ford’s block. You can see the play at around the 1:10 mark below:

Here’s what officials look for when it comes to blindside blocks pic.twitter.com/XYnBD0mXHp

— NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) April 9, 2021

Had no flag been thrown, Stephen Hauschka would have been able to attempt a game-winning field goal of around 55 yards. That is hardly a chip shot, so there’s no guarantee the Bills would have won. However, the NFL has confirmed that they at least deserved a shot.

As New Orleans Saints fans could tell you, the blindside block penalty wasn’t the most egregious officiating blunder we have seen in an NFL playoff game. A certain non-call on this pass play still holds that title. That said, it has to sting Bills fans to see the NFL admit the mistake now.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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