Complain all you want about officiating in the NFL.  The Buffalo Bills were on the short end of some questionable calls against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but the Bills have only themselves to blame.  More specifically the blame can be placed squarely on the coaching staff.  The NFL has a system to challenge questionable officiating calls and the Bills failed miserably.  It cost them in a 30-22 loss to the Chiefs.

The Bills were off and running in the first half building a 10-0 lead, but the first gaffe was failing to challenge a long pass by the Chiefs that set up their first touchdown.  A 37-yard pass to Jeremy Maclin clearly touched the ground, but the Bills failed to challenge it.  The Chiefs scored on the next play. 0 for 1.

In the 3rd quarter the Bills did challenge a play on an incomplete pass to Robert Woods.  The pass was clearly incomplete, the Bills lost the challenge and a timeout.  0 for 2.

The Bills weren't done.  Late in the game and trailing by 8 points, a pass reception by Chris Hogan was ruled incomplete.  Replays showed it was a catch and he gained a first down on it, but the Bills failed to challenge it.  0 for 3.

Then on a 4th & 9 with just over two minutes to play, Tyrod Taylor came up short of the first down.  This one the Bills challenged and lost.  0 for 4.  Game over.

It spoiled a good effort by Taylor and Sammy Watkins.  Taylor finished with 291 yards passing with three touchdowns.  Watkins caught six passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns all in the first half.

Lesean McCoy ran for 70 yards, but fumbled twice, losing one.

The Bills had a good first half, but the Chiefs took control in the second half using running back Spencer Ware to dent the Bills defense for 114 yards on 19 carries.  Meanwhile Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith was an efficient 19 of 30 for 255 yards and two touchdowns.  He also scrambled six times for 35 yards, two of them for first downs.

So the Bills come up empty in a critical game and fall to 5-6 on the season.  Coach Rex Ryan and his staff came out looking amateurish on those questionable calls.  They're squarely looking at a 16th season out of the playoffs with five games to do something about it.  They host the Houston Texans next Sunday.

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