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The Bills’ fake punt was a galaxy brain moment gone wrong vs. Chiefs in NFL Playoffs

The Bills’ fake punt to Damar Hamlin never had a chance.

AFC Divisional Playoffs - Kansas City Chiefs v Buffalo Bills Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images

The divisional round matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills lived up to the hype in the 2024 NFL Playoffs. A heavyweight battle between two of the leagues’ best signal callers, with drama and intrigue.

It also had one of the most questionable moments in a playoff game in recent memory. On 4th and 5, with the score still at 27-24 Kansas City, Bills head coach Sean McDermott and Buffalo’s special teams decided to run a fake punt with safety Damar Hamlin.

It went about as well as you expected.

Naturally, you want to take the ball out of your Voltron QB (who was playing a phenomenal game) and his hands in the biggest moment of the game to run a fake punt. An incredible gambit, McDermott! An absolutely genius move that nobody could ever see coming!

The wide right miss is going to be the one that sticks in the minds of Bills fans forever, but this special teams gaffe was just as bad. Especially when you mention that Kansas City only had ten men on the field.

Just an exceptional missed opportunity, in a game where the margins for error were razor thin.