KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Of all things to perhaps torpedo the Chiefs' best chance of winning the AFC Championship Game ...
An offsides penalty.
The call against outside linebacker Dee Ford late in the fourth quarter proved pivotal in the New England Patriots' 37-34 victory over the Chiefs.
Cornerback Charvarius Ward came up with a tipped interception on a third-and-10 from the Chiefs' 34 with about 90 seconds remaining and the Chiefs' leading 28-24.
After playing from behind nearly the entire game, the Chiefs had their huge moment.
Except a flag was thrown to the field on the opposite side of the play. Ford had lined up in the neutral zone.
Instead of the Chiefs having the ball and forcing the Patriots to use timeouts, New England's drive continued after the penalty and ended with Rex Burkhead's 4-yard touchdown run with 39 seconds remaining.
The Chiefs managed to tie the game on Harrison Butker's 39-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining.
But when the Patriots won the coin toss to start overtime, they marched down the field for a touchdown. With overtime rules, that ended the game.
The game and the Chiefs' season were over.
Looking at the final stats, it was a miracle they were ever part of the game. New England held huge advantages in first downs (36-18), total yards (524-290) and time of possession (43:50-20:53). The Patriots became the first team to hold the Chiefs scoreless in the first half of a game this season as they took a 14-0 lead at halftime.
But Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes led a second-half surge. The Chiefs, as they did in a 43-40 loss at New England during the regular season, scored 31 second-half points.
Had Ward's interception counted, the stats disparity wouldn't have mattered. But in a game with many twists and turns, the biggest moment might have come when Ford lined up a few inches offsides.
The Patriots remained alive and cashed in. They'll meet the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl in two weeks. The Chiefs desperately tried to hang on, but fell short.
