Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills lament loss in AFC title game
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- Josh Allen took a deep breath before he started his news conference Sunday night.
The moment was familiar.
The Bills quarterback was visibly frustrated as he tried to explain how he felt after Buffalo came up short again.
"It's not fun. But to be the champs, you've got to beat the champs, and we didn't do it tonight," Allen said.
The "champs," otherwise known as the Kansas City Chiefs, have bested the Bills four times in the past five postseasons, the first time in NFL playoff history that one team has eliminated the same opponent four times in a five-season span.
The Bills came back from multiple deficits on Sunday, including an 11-point hole, but ultimately lost in the AFC Championship Game 32-29.
As red and gold confetti littered the way to the visitors locker room and cheers for the Chiefs echoed throughout Arrowhead Stadium, Bills players quietly packed their belongings and processed what had happened on the field. Allen returned from his news conference still in uniform and sat in front of his locker, looking down as he does after the toughest of losses.
"You can either get it done or you can't," Allen said. "And we didn't get it done."
The Bills will have to wait until next season to figure out how to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs and get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 season.
"[The Chiefs are] a good football team. They've won two Super Bowls, been to seven straight AFC Championship Games. That's no excuse," Bills coach Sean McDermott said. "This is a good football team. We've got to keep working to get over that hump, there is no doubt about it. We've won a lot of tough games this year against really good opponents, really good coaches. I'm proud of this football team.
"This is obviously a challenge for us. We'll figure it out."
The Bills' 78 wins over the past six seasons, including the playoffs, are the most by any team in a six-season span without a Super Bowl appearance in NFL history. Allen's seven playoff wins are the most by any quarterback never to make a Super Bowl appearance.
The Bills' final drive fell short as the Chiefs blitzed and pressured Allen on fourth-and-5 with two minutes remaining from Buffalo's 47-yard line. Allen was forced to scramble and heaved the ball toward tight end Dalton Kincaid, who couldn't haul in what would have been a difficult catch.
"It's football. Josh made a hell of an attempt just to get the ball up there, and just sucks a lot, not being able to bring it down," Kincaid said.