Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Christian D'Andrea

The 5 ways the Bills doomed themselves in another heartbreaking playoff loss to the Chiefs

Sunday night’s playoff showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills was, as is tradition, beautiful chaos. And it ended, as is tradition, with Patrick Mahomes standing tall and Josh Allen’s season over.

The result of Kansas City’s first trip to western New York in six matchups was a brutal one for Bills fans. Two straight regular wins over the Chiefs only paved the way for more heartbreak when the games mattered most. Buffalo has made it to the postseason five straight seasons after 19 years without double-digit regular season wins. Kansas City has been their terminus in three of the last four Januaries.

2024’s loss may not have been as devastating as watching a three-point lead evaporate in the final 13 seconds of 2022’s divisional round matchup, but it will haunt the Bills until they finally break through to a Super Bowl win. Buffalo is an estimated $43 million over next year’s estimated salary cap, per Over the Cap. The team has an aging roster and key veterans like Micah Hyde and Leonard Floyd are free agents. It’s going to take a lot to recapture the brilliance of the Bills’ late-season rally to claim the AFC East title.

If Buffalo can’t do it, it will only make Sunday’s divisional round loss feel even worse. There are no fewer than five crushing fourth quarter moments that showcased the Bills’ inability to seize the moment and move one step closer to a Super Bowl.

1
A fake punt that made sense in theory but not execution fails

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Calling for a fake punt on fourth-and-five, trailing 27-24 in the fourth quarter and at your own 30-yard line is a bold move. And it may not have been head coach Sean McDermott’s intent. Instead, his special teams unit saw an advantage from a Chiefs lineup that only brought 10 players to the field. This created a distinct eight-on-six advantage in the middle of the field.

A direct snap to upback Damar Hamlin, however, never stood a chance. Buffalo’s blocking was sloppy, no running lane materialized and Hamlin was lucky to gain three yards.

The Chiefs took over in field goal range. But they were unable to extend their lead because…

2
The Chiefs gift Buffalo a fumble out the back of the end zone. The Bills do nothing with it

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Isiah Pacheco averaged 6.5 yards per carry Sunday night. But after ripping off a 29-yard gain to set up first-and-goal immediately after Buffalo’s botched fake punt, head coach Andy Reid decided he needed a breather. So in came Mecole Hardman, a player who once looked like a promising young playmaker but now only comes up in discussions regarding shame.

Hardman fumbled out of the end zone to erase the Bills’ fake punt gaffe. Buffalo got the ball back, lost two yards on the ensuing three plays, then shanked a 39-yard punt to ensure no one felt good about the fourth quarter of this game.

3
Stefon Diggs can't corral a potential game-changing deep ball

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Still, the Bills’ depleted defense held up. They forced a negated three-and-out after a questionable pass interference call gifted Kansas City a fresh set of downs. They held tough from there, giving up a single yard before Tommy Townsend’s punt bounced into the end zone. Buffalo had 8:23 remaining to drive 80 yards for a potential game winning touchdown.

The Bills went for it on first down.

That ball flew 50 yards in the air to a spot where one of the best wide receivers in the NFL could get it. And he didn’t. Brutal.

Fortunately, this didn’t crush Buffalo’s spirits. Four first downs — including one on fourth-and-three and an extremely lucky fumble recovery that had every Chiefs fan in the world screaming “FALL ON THE BALL” — set up second-and-nine from the Kansas City 26-yard line at the two minute warning.

That’s when Khalil Shakir broke free in what should have been a go-ahead touchdown. But it wasn’t.

4
Chris Jones' pressure did just enough to erase what would have been a game-changing touchdown

Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Allen has an open Diggs on a shallow crosser here. But he gives it up because he knows an in-breaking Shakir will have leverage and space. The read is correct — but it’s a split second too late because defensive tackle Chris Jones, coming from the edge, has power-rushed perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins into the pocket, leaving Allen no room to step into the throw.

It falls incomplete. So does the next one. Ah, well. Tyler Bass can still tie the game with a 44-yard field goal. In his career, he’s hit 84 percent of his kicks from 40-49 yards, though that number is down to 67 percent in 2023. Surely that won’t be a problem…

Right?

5
(long exhale) ... Tyler Bass, man

Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

A wise man said it better than I ever could. “Man, why you even got to do a thing?

It’s not just that Bass’s game-tying kick missed — one drive after the Bills’ defense effectively forced two three-and outs on a single set of downs. It’s that it missed the same way Scott Norwood’s 47-yard, Super Bowl-winning kick missed more than 30 years ago. This is a fanbase that knows nothing but heartbreak, and it was rubbed in their faces once more.

One Isiah Pacheco first down later, this game was over. All that was left was the ceremonial throwing of the snowballs.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.