Mecole Hardman may have cost the Kansas City Chiefs their season after fumbling the ball through the end zone against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.
In a game that had gone back and forth through the first three quarters, Hardman’s dumbfounding mistake gave the Bills possession at their own 25-yard line with a chance to take the lead late in the game.
It’s so close but because they didn’t call it a fumble first I thought it would stand pic.twitter.com/KU18eWRVEM
— Cody Tapp (@codybtapp) January 22, 2024
A miscue like this could cost Kansas City the game, and with their season on the line, the Chiefs will now have to take the road less traveled to advance to the AFC Championship Game next week.
Fans on social media sites were not shy in expressing their frustration about this absolutely brutal mistake and were perplexed by head coach Andy Reid’s decision to put the ball in Hardman’s hands in such a crucial situation.
Check out some of Twitter’s top reactions to the consequential sequence below:
I would not give Mecole Hardman the ball ever again
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) January 22, 2024
Didn't the Chiefs gift Mecole Hardman to the Jets, and then they regifted him back?
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) January 22, 2024
BAD REACH. What is Mecole Hardman doing? The ball is moving and will be a touchback.
Never EVER EVER reach for the goalline unless it’s 4th down. Cmon
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) January 22, 2024
Mecole Hardman is beside himself on the bench pic.twitter.com/BxvU6lFTIS
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 22, 2024
Dude fumbled earlier too. Sit that fool for the rest of the game https://t.co/NIXSLbQ9mS
— ISMAEL (@ish_lopezzz) January 22, 2024
He should Stay there https://t.co/bKtBZnRixf
— Hanisch Bakery (@HanischBakery) January 22, 2024
PLEASE STAY RIGHT THERE https://t.co/UntVUBI8cw
— Brody B. (@BRODYYYYYYY) January 22, 2024
The Chiefs inability to quit Mecole Hardman could cost them huge here.
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) January 22, 2024
Mecole Hardman charged with a fumble, ball out before he was down. Ball goes through the end zone, touchback, Bills' football.
Bills blinked, Chiefs blinked back.
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) January 22, 2024
Hand it off to ANY player on the team there besides Mecole. Literally hand it off to Tommy Townsend instead…he’s touched the ball twice and fumbled both times
— Braiden Turner (@bturner23) January 22, 2024
hardman gotta walk home.
— bomani (@bomani_jones) January 22, 2024
NO MORE HARDMAN
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 22, 2024
Why???? Just Why???? Why….. Why the Jet sweep with Hardman pic.twitter.com/6zBSV2yzUQ
— Jason “The” Dunn (@JasusTD89) January 22, 2024
I swear, 17-18 more times of that Hardman jet sweep not working then you should stop running it.
— Mick Shaffer (@mickshaffer) January 22, 2024
Baffling to put the ball in Hardman’s hands. Inexplicable no matter how this call goes.
— Danny Parkins (@DannyParkins) January 22, 2024
Hardman fumbled twice both times he had the ball. Horrible. It was the right call
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) January 22, 2024
Giving Hardman the ball when you have Pacheco is certainly a decision.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 22, 2024
I don't get it https://t.co/pPXBuDoE9V
— Rich (@piff_da_god) January 22, 2024
Chiefs: we have Isiah Pacheco, Mahomes, Kelce, rice, the spirit of Tony Gonzalez, quite literally anybody else
Also Chiefs: let’s give Mecole Hardman touches inside the 3 yard line in big spots in meaningful games— Kev (@klew24) January 22, 2024
That’s on Andy Reid, there is absolutely no way Hardman should be on the field in that spot.
— Jeff Parles (@jeffparles) January 22, 2024
What a stunning turn of events in a three-play span: Chiefs stopped fake punt to set up potential knockout blow and then gave it right back with Hardman's fumble out of end zone.
— Vahe Gregorian (@vgregorian) January 22, 2024
