Full coverage: Bills lose to Chiefs, 42-36, in AFC divisional game heartbreaker

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Grading the Buffalo Bills in their 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium …

Observations: Defensive breakdowns ruin Josh Allen's heroics, lead to one of most painful losses in Bills history

The 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs will immediately join the four Super Bowl losses and “Homerun Throwback” as the absolute most painful in franchise history, writes Jay Skurski.

RUNNING GAME: C+

Devin Singletary picked a bad time to revert to his midseason form. He scored a 1-yard touchdown run early in the game on a fourth-and-goal play, but it was mostly downhill from there, as Singletary averaged just 2.6 yards on 10 carries. The running game once again went through quarterback Josh Allen, who led the way with 68 yards on 11 carries. Allen was a beast on quarterback sweeps most of the game. There were some notable failures, including when the Bills had second-and-3 on their first possession of the third quarter. Singletary gained 1 yard on that play, then Isaiah McKenzie gained 1 on third-and-2, and the Bills punted on fourth-and-1. That inability to pick up short yardage on the ground felt like a season-long problem that couldn’t be solved.

PASSING GAME: A

Allen is special. He once again put the offense on his shoulders, especially in the fourth quarter, leading what should have been two game-winning drives. He finished 27 of 37 for 329 yards and four touchdowns – a quarterback rating of 136.0. Most of the damage through the air was done by second-year receiver Gabriel Davis, who finished with a whopping 201 yards on eight catches. Slot receiver Cole Beasley had six catches for 60 yards – Allen’s two best throws of the night were the 75-yard touchdown bomb to Davis and the 24-yard slant to Beasley. We’ll be asking for a long time how Stefon Diggs finished with just three catches for 7 yards in a divisional playoff game. Tight end Dawson Knox disappeared, as well, finishing with just two catches for 9 yards. Knox had a drop on the Bills’ first drive and also was penalized for a false start in the fourth quarter on a drive that ended in a punt. Against the Chiefs, opposing teams basically have to play a perfect game, and Knox didn’t do that.

Bills receiver Gabriel Davis erupts to keep Bills in game before gutting loss

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabriel Davis became the first player in NFL history with four receiving touchdowns in a playoff game Sunday. But there was no celebration of a mark that came in a loss.

RUN DEFENSE: F

You knew it was going to be a long night when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rushed three times for 49 yards on the opening drive, capping it with an 8-yard touchdown. The Bills’ coverage was great, but the rushers were getting too far up the field, allowing Mahomes lanes to take off running. The Chiefs’ quarterback also pump-faked to freeze the Bills’ defensive line, taking off when they erred by jumping to defend passes. Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire also had his moments, rushing seven times for 60 yards. Receiver Mecole Hardman scored on a 25-yard jet sweep. Add it all up, and the Chiefs gained 182 yards on 27 carries – an average of 6.7 per rush.

Plays that shaped the game: Speedsters keyed Chiefs' 42-36 OT win over Bills

The Kansas City Chiefs’ team speed was the biggest factor from start to finish – and especially at the finish – in the Buffalo Bills’ 42-36 overtime loss in the AFC divisional playoff game.

PASS DEFENSE: F

Everyone knew when Tre’Davious White got hurt Thanksgiving night that it spelled trouble for the Bills’ defense. That bill came due Sunday, as Dane Jackson had a rough outing. Jackson was called for a killer defensive holding in the second quarter on a third-and-goal play from the Bills’ 11-yard line. Three plays later, the Chiefs were in the end zone. The legitimacy of that flag can be debated, but Jackson clearly grabbed Tyreek Hill’s jersey, so there shouldn’t be such outrage the penalty was called – it was quite easy to see. It’s impossible to understand what Levi Wallace was thinking on the catch that allowed the Chiefs to get into field goal range at the end of regulation. There is no receiver on his side, and he simply watches as tight end Travis Kelce runs straight up the seam. Mahomes threw the ball 44 times and the Bills didn’t have a single pass defensed. That’s remarkable.

Quarter by quarter: Bills, Chiefs ride roller coaster in AFC divisional playoff thriller

Don't miss Katherine Fitzgerald's quarter-by-quarter analysis of the Buffalo Bills' 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on AFC divisional playoff weekend ...

SPECIAL TEAMS: D

Matt Haack concluded an underwhelming first season in Buffalo just about how you’d expect – punting four times for 175 yards – an average of 43.8 gross yards, but just 28.8 net yards. Haack did have one punt downed at the Kansas City 1-yard line when linebacker Tyler Matakevich raced downfield to keep the ball from going in the end zone, but a huge breakdown occurred in the fourth quarter when Hill had a 45-yard punt return. That only happened because Taiwan Jones ran out of bounds on the previous punt by Haack, creating offsetting penalties and necessitating another punt. The Bills gave up 60 yards on two punt returns and 26 yards on Kansas City’s lone kickoff return. Those numbers are too big. McKenzie had a pretty good kick return of 22 yards to start the game, but that was his only chance as the Chiefs’ six other kickoffs went for touchbacks. Micah Hyde made two fair catches as the punt returner. Tyler Bass hit four extra points.

COACHING: F

It started on a great note for Sean McDermott. The Bills’ coach was aggressive on the opening drive, going for it on fourth-and-2 from the 50-yard line and fourth-and-goal from the Chiefs’ 1-yard line. That was a refreshing approach, especially considering how many field goals McDermott settled for here last year in the AFC championship game. Unfortunately, the momentum stopped there. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll took plenty of heat for calling three straight Singletary runs in the second quarter, leading to a three-and-out. After watching Allen absolutely torch the secondary, that’s a fair second-guess. The decision not to either squib kick or have Bass kick off short of the end zone at the end of regulation was wrong. Doing so would have forced the Chiefs to run a precious few seconds off the clock. McDermott understandably didn’t want to discuss specifics of how his defense melted down at the end of the game – I get it, he just had his heart ripped out – but he darn sure better have some answers in the coming days. It’s not as though the Bills weren’t on the same page, because they were taking timeouts to make sure they were in the right defense. The coach and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier need to explain just what the plan was for the final 13 seconds, because for the life of me, if there was one, I couldn’t determine what it was.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –  Bills wide receiver Gabriel Davis turned plenty of heads Sunday, including seconds after he turned his own.

Late in the game, as the second-year wide receiver headed toward the end zone, he looked to the left, turning his body for a split second before snapping back and racing forward. Kansas City cornerback Mike Hughes maybe snapped an ankle, falling in place trying to defend Davis. 

Davis instead became the first player in NFL history with four receiving touchdowns in a playoff game Sunday. But there was no celebration of a mark that came in a loss.

The connection between Josh Allen and Davis kept the Bills alive late, but they would eventually fall in heartbreaking fashion to the Chiefs 42-36 in overtime in Kansas City.

“It's hard to be able to celebrate that when something like that happens,” Davis said, “because at the end of day, this is a team game. You want your team to keep going, to keep playing, to win the Super Bowl and move forward.”

Davis’ first catch Sunday night came with a minute left in the first half. He finished with 201 yards on eight receptions.

“That’s video game numbers,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said.

Allen threw for 329 yards, and all four of his passing touchdowns went to Davis. Two of Davis’ touchdowns and 86 of his yards came after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter.

Coach Sean McDermott felt those late game heroics were coming.

“I looked at him on the sideline and I said, ‘Hey, you’re gonna make the play,’” McDermott said. “And he darn sure made two big-time plays for us down the stretch there.”

The Bills were facing fourth-and-13 coming out of the two-minute warning. That's when Davis torched Hughes on his way to a 27-yard touchdown. The Bills went for two, and Allen connected with wide receiver Stefon Diggs, putting the Bills up by three with 1:54 left.

“I feel like it was one of those things that if it felt like whoever had the ball last was gonna win the game,” center Mitch Morse said.

Sure enough, the Chiefs answered with a touchdown 52 seconds later. The Bills got it back again, down four with 1:02 left.

On the 49-second drive, 59 of the Bills’ 75 yards were through Davis. On first-and-10 from the Kansas City 19, he found the end zone again.

“Whoever had the opportunity to make a play, we were gonna make it, and I had a lot of opportunities,” Davis said.

Before Davis’ spectacular fourth quarter, he had opportunities earlier in the game.

In the third quarter, when the Chiefs took their first two-score lead of the game, Allen and Davis needed just one play to answer. After a touchback, Allen launched a pass deep over the middle to Davis.

Per Next Gen Stats, it traveled 57.1 yards in the air, and had a completion probability of 31.7%. The 75-yard completion was the longest touchdown pass of Allen’s career and the longest play from scrimmage of the Bills’ season.

While Davis erupted, Diggs had just seven receiving yards. Allen said that stemmed from how Kansas City defended them.

“I think they had a good plan doubling him, especially on some of these third downs, rolling the safety over the top, playing two high and usually, when you try to take away somebody and put two guys on (No.) 14, it opens up things for the other guys,” Allen said. “Gabe had his opportunities tonight and he made some outstanding plays.”

McDermott agreed.

“(Diggs is) obviously one of our best players and we’ve got to make sure we’re getting him the ball,” McDermott said. “But at the end of the day, we scored to take the lead with 13 seconds left so there’s a lot we can talk about, but we put ourselves in position to win the game.”

The Bills were in that position because of Allen and Davis.

Davis broke nearly every one of his single-game highs. All season, he’s talked about capitalizing on his opportunities, no matter how few he had.

During the regular season, he had 35 catches for 549 yards and six touchdowns. On Sunday, he proved that he had earned a bigger role in the offense.

"He's gone through a roller coaster this year," tight end Dawson Knox said Monday. "From being a huge touchdown scorer contributor, to being a guy that's getting 10 snaps a game. It's been very, very up and down for him so to have the results that he had at the end of the year is just a huge credit to who he is as the guy, who he is as a player and the work he puts in."

Davis will have more time than he wanted to think about what his role will look like next season after Sunday’s bitter loss.

“It's just gonna leave that bad taste in our mouth,” Davis said. “I know that it'll be something I'll be thinking about until the next season starts again, because there's still gonna be games going on, and the Super Bowl’s gonna be played, and you're gonna see it on TV and know you should have been in that position.”

Patrick Mahomes had every reason to join the raucous celebration with his teammates after the Kansas City Chiefs squashed the Buffalo Bills' Super Bowl dreams for the second consecutive year.

His third touchdown pass, an 8-yard toss to Travis Kelce in overtime, was the decisive moment in a 42-36 victory at Arrowhead Stadium, sending Chiefs fans into ecstasy and punctuating a remarkable never-say-die performance.

Instead of basking in the spotlight and rubbing the loss in the Bills' face, Mahomes ran across the field, bobbing and weaving around players and media, to meet his counterpart – Bills quarterback Josh Allen – to share a hug and pats on the back. The gesture was a sign of respect for Allen, who threw for four touchdowns – all to Gabriel Davis – in the losing effort. 

.@PatrickMahomes left the celebration and ran across the whole field to find @JoshAllenQB.Ultimate respect for these competitors. #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/T5uEk4OXty

— NFL (@NFL) January 24, 2022

Mahomes' act was meaningful to Allen, who mentioned the exchange when asked in the postgame press conference about how he was taking in the emotions immediately after the gut-wrenching defeat. 

"I have a lot of respect of Pat," Allen said. "He throws the winning touchdown and he comes straight over and finds me. To be in that situation and to do that, that was pretty cool of him to that."

Observations: Defensive breakdowns ruin Josh Allen's heroics, lead to one of most painful losses in Bills history

The 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs will immediately join the four Super Bowl losses and “Homerun Throwback” as the absolute most painful in franchise history, writes Jay Skurski.

The Chiefs' quarterback, selected this year to his fourth-straight Pro Bowl, also quick to praise Allen – and recognize what's blooming into a legitimate rivalry with staying power – in his postgame interview.

“Josh played his [butt] off, pardon my language,” Mahomes said. “It was a great game between two great football teams ... we're going to play this team a lot of times in games like this. With that quarterback, with that coaching staff and the players they have, there's going to be a lot of battles. 

Mahomes and Allen are considered the elite young quarterbacks in the NFL – despite Allen's snub from the Pro Bowl – and Sunday showcased their special qualities on a mammoth stage.

Combined, the pair tallied more than 700 passing yards and seven touchdowns without committing a turnover. Each quarterback also led his team in rushing yards, with Mahomes' 69 nipping Allen's 68.

They saved their best for last, too, totaling 31 points in the game's final 5:22 in a true "last one with the ball wins" scenario.  

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The fastest offense in football was too fast for the No. 1-rated defense in the NFL on Sunday night.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ team speed was the biggest factor from start to finish – and especially at the finish – in the Buffalo Bills’ 42-36 overtime loss in the AFC divisional playoff game.

Observations: Defensive breakdowns ruin Josh Allen's heroics, lead to one of most painful losses in Bills history

Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill is the fastest starting player in the NFL, with 4.29 speed in the 40-yard dash.

The Bills’ respect for him forced them to stay back in a two-deep shell defense most of the game. But Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was patient enough to use short runs and short passes to execute long marches for touchdowns.

Along the way, the Chiefs used their other world-class speedsters. Receiver Mecole Hardman, the second fastest man on the field Sunday with 4.32 speed, made big plays. So did receiver Byron Pringle, with 4.46 speed, and running back Jerick McKinnon, with 4.41 speed.

Jason Wolf: Josh Allen's legendary postseason ends as Bills add '13 Seconds' to list of gut punches

Here’s a closer look at some of the key plays in the dramatic game:

Cheetah TD. The Chiefs’ big play of the second half was a 64-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Hill with 1:13 left in the fourth quarter.

“Their fast guys, you understand, stick out on tape,” safety Micah Hyde said. “Every game you watch them. I thought we prevented them most of the game – those big explosive plays. But he just got out the gate. We take pride in not doing that, and that’s why it hurts even more.”

Hill was lined up by himself on the left side of the formation against Levi Wallace. Hill ran over the middle and caught the ball at midfield. Jordan Poyer was still back at the Bills’ 37 when Hill caught the ball. But as Poyer came up to try to make a tackle, Hill blew past the safety at the 40 and zoomed into the end zone.

There was nobody left to make a tackle, because linebacker Matt Milano was deep covering tight end Noah Gray in man coverage. Dane Jackson was deep covering receiver Demarcus Robinson.

Quarter by quarter: Bills, Chiefs ride roller coaster in AFC divisional playoff thriller

The 5-foot-8, 183-pound Hill, nicknamed “Cheetah,” has scored 71 touchdowns in six seasons. He ranked third in the NFL in catches this year with 111.

The longest 13 seconds. The Bills’ defense couldn’t keep the Chiefs from scoring a tying field goal, even though only 13 seconds remained in regulation.

First, they kicked off out of the end zone, rather than squib kicking the ball. Maybe they were worried about the fact Hardman was the deep return man.

The Bills were defending the sideline, trying to prevent a cheap completion that would kill the clock.

First, the Chiefs ran a 5-yard quick hitch to Hill, who got 14 yards after the catch to turn it into a 19-yard gain. The Bills’ defenders were sitting back at the 40-yard line to start the play. Then the Bills gave up a 25-yard pass to tight end Travis Kelce against zone defense to bring the ball to the Buffalo 31. Kelce ran up a seam in the zone between Wallace and Matt Milano. Kansas City then tied it with a 49-yard field goal.

A heartache finish for fans after raucous tailgating in Kansas City

Five hours before kickoff, dozens of fans brought a slice of Orchard Park to a parking lot in the shadow of Arrowhead Stadium.

Blitz beaten. By unofficial count, the Bills blitzed only three times in the game. They did not blitz at all in the regular-season win over the Chiefs.

On a second-and-7 situation from the Buffalo 34 in overtime, Milano blitzed off left tackle. But Mahomes hung in the pocket just long enough to hit Hardman on a shallow crossing route.

Hardman, nicknamed “the Jet,” was wide open and burst across the field for a 26-yard gain.

Five on one. Hardman showed his game-breaking ability in the third quarter when he scored on a 25-yard jet sweep run around the left end.

The Bills actually were in good position to defend the play. Defensive end Mario Addison stayed home at right defensive end and Wallace looked in position on the outside. But Wallace attacked the outside and got bumped by tight end Blake Bell.

Questions abound why Bills didn't squib kickoff with 13 seconds left vs. Chiefs

Then Hardman made a hesitation juke that froze Efe Obada and Jordan Poyer for an instant. Milano got shoved to the sideline by Kelce.

That’s all Hardman needed to get up the sideline.

Up the middle. The Bills burned a Chiefs Cover 2 defense for the go-ahead touchdown with 13 seconds left.

Gabriel Davis beat cornerback L’Jarius Snead straight up the field for a 19-yard touchdown that gave the Bills their short-lived 36-33 lead.

Chiefs safety Armani Watts was focused on guarding against Stefon Diggs, who ran a hitch to the right against cornerback Charvarius Ward. Safety Juan Thornhill was focused on the other side of the field, where Cole Beasley and Dawson Knox were running.

Twitter reactions: Bills fans heartbroken after wild overtime playoff loss to Kansas City

Juked to the ground. Davis put a hesitation move on cornerback Mike Hughes on his 27-yard, fourth-quarter TD that caused Hughes to trip backward onto his back.

Bombs away. On his 75-yard TD catch late in the third quarter, Davis ran a post pattern against a Cover 2 defense, but the throw by Allen was too good.

The Bills had fullback Reggie Gilliam on the field and ran a hard play-action fake. That gave Allen time to set up and launch a rocket from the Bills’ 17. Davis blew past Thornhill and caught the ball 63 yards downfield at the Kansas City 25. He trotted into the end zone for a 75-yard touchdown.

Bills blitz beater. Kansas City refrained from big blitzes until late in the first half.

With 42 seconds left and the Bills at the Kansas City 18, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo rushed seven men at the quarterback. Allen saw it coming, backpedaled with linebacker Ben Niemann bearing down on him and hit a wide-open Davis on a post pattern at the goal line.

Davis beat Hughes, who bumped into slot cornerback L’Jarius Snead as he was following Davis off the line. That happened because Cole Beasley went in motion to the left, toward Davis. Snead was racing over to follow Beasley.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Katherine Fitzgerald weighs in with her quarter-by-quarter analysis of the Buffalo Bills' 42-36 AFC divisional playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs ...

Observations: Defensive breakdowns ruin Josh Allen's heroics, lead to one of most painful losses in Bills history

First quarter

Lineup: Once again, the Bills were healthy headed into the game, with no injury designations for the active roster. The Bills’ inactives were: wide receiver Marquez Stevenson, running back Matt Breida, tight end Tommy Sweeney, defensive tackle Vernon Butler, offensive lineman Bobby Hart, and defensive backs Nick McCloud and Josh Thomas.

Going for it: The Bills set the tone on their opening drive. On fourth-and-2 from midfield, Sean McDermott and the Bills were aggressive. Josh Allen took care of it himself, picking up 10 yards easily.

Going for it again: The opening drive saw another fourth down, this one from a yard out. The Bills once again went for it, and it paid off big time. Devin Singletary ran in a one-yard touchdown to put the Bills up first. It extended his streak of games with a touchdown to six.

This drive: Patrick Mahomes had a 34-yard run on his opening drive, going right up the middle of the field on third-and-6. A little while later, he ran on third down again. This time it was an eight-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Mahomes had 49 yards on the ground that drive, as his team went 74 yards in 11 plays.

Jason Wolf: Josh Allen's legendary postseason ends as Bills add '13 Seconds' to list of gut punches

Second quarter

K.C. short drive: Special teams set up the Bills defense nicely, with Tyler Matakevich and Reid Ferguson helping down Matt Haack’s punt at the one-yard line. The defense forced a three-and-out, but the Bills were unable to score on the ensuing drive.

Points for Pringle: Ed Oliver and Matt Milano sacked Mahomes on first and third down, respectively, but Milano’s was erased by a holding call on cornerback Dane Jackson. Kansas City scored off the fresh set of downs, with Mahomes connecting with Byron Pringle for a two-yard touchdown.

Even again: The Bills got the ball back with 1:52 left in the half. They moved quickly, going 75 yards in seven plays, and taking just 1:15 off the clock. Allen found a wide open Gabriel Davis for an 18-yard touchdown.

End of half: The fast drive by Buffalo ended with 37 seconds left on the clock. Mahomes connected with Tyreek Hill for 26 yards to move into Buffalo territory. A few plays later, Harrison Butker’s 50-yard field goal attempt was no good, leaving it tied at the half.

Plays that shaped the game: Speedsters keyed Chiefs' 42-36 OT win over Bills

The Kansas City Chiefs’ team speed was the biggest factor from start to finish – and especially at the finish – in the Buffalo Bills’ 42-36 overtime loss in the AFC divisional playoff game.

Third quarter

Three to start: Allen entered the game 9-0 when he called the coin flip. He lost for the first time this season, which led to Kansas City having the ball to start the second half. On that drive, Butker’s 39-yard field goal was good, and the drive took nearly eight minutes off the clock.

This drive: The Bills went three-and-out on their first drive of the second half. On first down, Allen threw to Reggie Gilliam for seven yards. But then, the Bills picked up just one yard on each of the next two downs, before punting on fourth-and-1 from the 34-yard line.

Hardman scores: Wide receiver Mecole Hardman had a 25-yard touchdown run that capped a five-play scoring drive immediately after Buffalo went three-and-out. The point after was no good, hitting the left upright.

Quite the answer: Hardman’s touchdown marked the first two-score lead for either team Sunday. The Bills didn’t let that last long. On the first play of the next drive, Allen threw a 75-yard touchdown to Davis, the longest play from scrimmage of the year for the Bills.

A heartache finish for fans after raucous tailgating in Kansas City

Five hours before kickoff, dozens of fans brought a slice of Orchard Park to a parking lot in the shadow of Arrowhead Stadium.

Fourth quarter

Coming up big on fourth: Allen picked up a fourth-and-4 to extend the drive, but the Bills faced fourth-and-13 coming out of the two-minute warning. They not only converted, Allen connected with Davis in the end zone again for the touchdown. Then, Allen found Stefon Diggs for the two-point conversion to go up 29-26.

Flip flop: Mahomes and the Chiefs offense got the ball back with 1:54 left. That was more than enough time, and on the fifth play of the drive, Mahomes connected with Tyreek Hill for a 64-yard touchdown, flipping the lead again.

A roller coaster: Next, the Bills got the ball back with 1:02 left and all three timeouts. Fittingly, Allen threw to Davis for the pair’s fourth touchdown of the night. But there was too much time after that, and the Chiefs got a field goal to tie it and force overtime.

Overtime

A brutal end: Kansas City won the coin toss in overtime and ended things quickly. An eight-yard pass from Mahomes to Travis Kelce sealed the win, ending the Bills’ season in Arrowhead for the second year in row.

Among the questions in the aftermath of the Buffalo Bills' 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs is the decision to kick the ball into the end zone with 13 seconds remaining rather than squib the ball.

A squib kick would have forced Kansas City to use at least a few precious seconds - perhaps three or four - to recover and return, presuming they opted to fall on the ball to kill the clock. 

After Buffalo's Gabriel Davis scored his fourth touchdown of the game on a 19-yard reception, the Bills opted to have Tyler Bass kick off deep, and the kick sailed into the end zone, meaning no time ran off the clock and the Chiefs started their final drive in regulation at their 25-yard line. Speedy Mecole Hardman was the kick returner for the Chiefs.

Kansas City moved the ball 44 yards in three plays, leading to game-tying field goal by Harrison Butker.

Asked whether the Bills considered a squib kick, Bills coach Sean McDermott said, “We talk about a lot of things. I’m just going to leave it at the execution, and that starts with me.”

Pressed for further details, McDermott essentially repeated his previous response. 

Reactions to the decision to kick off were swift:

Bills probably would have won had they not boomed that kickoff and forced a return.. yikes

— Ryan (@ryantharoyal) January 24, 2022

Why didn’t the Bills squib kick the kickoff. Make the Chiefs burn off 5 seconds at least

— Alex Smith (@asmitty27) January 24, 2022

Not a fan of Boomer Esiason, but I agree with him that with 13 seconds in regulation Bills needed to have the Chiefs return the kickoff. The amount of time that would've gone off the clock likely makes a FG try to tie the game up and force OT impossible.

— David Hall (@DHallNole) January 24, 2022

Still don’t understand why the Bills didn’t kick the kickoff short after that last TD to waste some of the clock…

— Jason (@Jkauf55) January 24, 2022

Completely different outcome if the Bills kickoff short after taking the lead and force the Chiefs to burn clock. And play more aggressive D. No way Chiefs tie it up with 13 seconds to play.

— Dan In Search of America (@DBoy526) January 24, 2022

Listen, the Bills were up three with 13 seconds to go and a kickoff at their disposal. I don't wanna hear "change the OT rules." Don't give up an absurd game-tying drive that defies football logic, first. Then we can talk about the OT rules.

— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) January 24, 2022

All the Buffalo Bills have to do is keep the kickoff on the field...

— Michael (@postmanstew) January 24, 2022

If the Bills squib-kicked that last kickoff with :13 seconds, does KC win?

— Jason Romano (@JasonRomano) January 24, 2022

13 seconds is what this game came down to, should’ve been even less than that because you should have made KC return the kickoff. Honestly one of the most heartbreaking losses I’ve personally seen. However the bills will be back, no doubt about it.

— ian cornish (@cornish_ian) January 24, 2022

T Romo was 💯 when he said bills should have left the kickoff short and run a few seconds off the clock to give Mahomes less time. Who’da thought 13 seconds would be enough for Mahomes? Probably most people

— Anthony Da(n)vis 🟣🟡 (@thebowss) January 24, 2022

An unforgettable Sunday night ended in heartbreak for the Buffalo Bills, with the Kansas City Chiefs prevailing 42-36 over the Bills in overtime, ending the season for Josh Allen's team for the second straight year.

Both quarterbacks – the Bills' Allen and Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes – left fans mesmerized with their heroics; the young stars traded huge play after huge play, with Allen connecting with Gabriel Davis for four touchdowns and Mahomes finding Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce for clutch scores.

Tension peaked in a riveting fourth quarter that saw 25 total points scored in the game's final two minutes, a roller coaster of emotions – stress, joy, anger and disappointment – that briefly had fans tasting victory with 13 seconds left and the Bills leading 36-33. 

A true thriller

Omg what a game to become a football fan ! Let alone a #Bills fan. #BillsMafia #BillsvsChiefs

— Aaron Eh (@Aaron1Eh8) January 24, 2022

The two best teams in the NFL just had a heavyweight slugfest. Man oh man. Going to be a fun rivalry to watch for the next decade. Go Bills. 💪

— chuck (@DCRjrBuffalo) January 24, 2022

Wow, that had to be one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen in the last 5 years. @BuffaloBills, @Chiefs what a barn burner. Gutted for Buffalo but man that was fun.

— Matt Sanderson (@MattSanderson32) January 24, 2022

In typical Bills fashion, our hearts are ripped out in the final seconds of a game. #BillsMafia

— Billy Rieck (@BillyRieck) January 24, 2022

Vaunted Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes matchup

These two quarterbacks are something else, man. The #Bills just can't bring Patrick Mahomes down.

— Jay Skurski (@JaySkurski) January 24, 2022

Josh Allen One Man Army

— Joanna Eberts (@josie914) January 24, 2022

Bad enough I have to watch Mahomes play against the #Bills, I also have to watch him in like every other commercial between drives!

— Nathanael Anderson (@Natron45) January 24, 2022

It’s not the Bills defense that’s the problem, it’s that Mahomes is super human

— We Have To Win (@LvkeTCB) January 24, 2022

The fact that these two teams can’t be playing for the Super Bowl is a disservice to the league. #chiefs #Bills

— Rob Rein (@GingerWoodWorks) January 24, 2022

Gabriel Davis' sterling performance

So much Andre Reed in Gabe Davis. #Bills

— Deplorable Me (@LKrukowski) January 24, 2022

What Gabe Davis did to that DB just isn’t fair

— Lyndsey D'Arcangelo (@darcangel21) January 24, 2022

Somehow at my house Davis just broke my Ankle #GoBills #BillsMafia

— M c Marz (@McMarz1113) January 24, 2022

GABE DAVIS TAKING NAMES AND ANKLES

— 𝕶𝖆𝖒 (@lgt716) January 24, 2022

Blame on the Bills' defense

You can’t even blame the overtime rules for costing the bills the game…They should’ve stopped KC with 13 seconds left????? They just beat themselves.

— Lauren Pray (@pray_lauren) January 24, 2022

if I am defensive player on the Buffalo Bills I would never be able to look Josh Allen in the eye ever again

— Liam Pershyn (@L_Pershyn) January 24, 2022

Yea hi…I’m looking for the Bills defense, can they come out to play??

— DP (@AnthonyTony757) January 24, 2022

Addison should never play a down for the #Bills again

— eibook (@Koobie_2009) January 24, 2022

The king of "Almost" plays, the Bills D Line

— Nate (@Nate_Wunder) January 24, 2022

The missed tackles are killing the #Bills

— Tom Lewis (@TomLewis1748) January 24, 2022

The Bills better spend ALL offseason learning how to tackle

— FIRE BRIAN DABOLL (@cryingbflofan) January 24, 2022

Coaching ups and downs

do you think the bills know they have josh allen as their qb and he can throw the ball like, really well

— victoria 💫 (@litttlesnappy) January 24, 2022

100%Chiefs can't stop him running. Chiefs can't stop passing. But the #Bills take the ball out of his hands. https://t.co/n1eccXnLn1

— Jason Mack (@jaymaj13) January 24, 2022

Looks like the usual poor play calling will reign superior once again for the Bills

— Alex Stegmeier (@alex_stegmeier) January 24, 2022

No second guessing McDermott, all in! Love it!

— Neighborhood Kari 🏁 (@UncleKari) January 23, 2022

Daboll runs FB in motion and #Bills have a false start.Why get cute?

— Jason Mack (@jaymaj13) January 24, 2022

Bills fans' nerves

Bills please don’t make this a back and forth game

— Sarah Snyder (@snyderrsarah) January 24, 2022

Might have a heart attack before this game is over. #Bills

— Marc Deschamps (@Marcdachamp) January 24, 2022

I’ve aged 5 years so far

— Del Reid 🦬 (@DelReid) January 24, 2022

The neighbors are about 30 seconds ahead of us in the Bills game and I can not tell the good screams from the bad. Oh the tension

— Johnny Jump Jump (@Iremarkable) January 24, 2022

Current mood 😬 @TheBuffaloNews pic.twitter.com/bi2ehHmyQp

— Adam Zyglis (@adamzyglis) January 24, 2022

I have never screamed and been so stressed watching a bills game before #BillsMafia

— Sarah (@sarahbecx) January 24, 2022

Best of the rest

Refs helping Mahomes back to his feet, yeah?Ok.I see you.Go Bills.

— y-Garret W. (@garretw5) January 24, 2022

Ben’s looking for a big 2nd half!! He even pulled out my old sweater from when I was a baby @BuffaloBills #GoBills pic.twitter.com/OXwvpLXrwC

— Michael Padak (@MichaelPadak) January 24, 2022

Watching this game with my teenage son reminds me of watching Jim Kelly and the Bills when I was his age.

— Kevin Sylvester (@kevsylvester) January 24, 2022

@BuffaloBills can you still stop running your FB in motion.

— Aaron (@Callmehayes) January 24, 2022

No pressure, @BuffaloBills but my entire month’s worth of serotonin production is dependent on you winning tonight. #BillsMafia

— Christine Pearl (@Christinelpearl) January 24, 2022

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – You’ll remember where you were 50 years from now.

That is, of course, unless you do everything in your power to forget what happened Sunday night.

The Buffalo Bills’ season crashed and burned at Arrowhead Stadium in the most painful way imaginable – a 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that will immediately join the four Super Bowl losses and “Homerun Throwback” as the absolute most painful in franchise history.

"We're all sick to our stomach and it hurts. We work really hard to get here," head coach Sean McDermott said. "I know the fans are disappointed, and I wish I could take that off of them. I wish I could take it off of the team, but we can't and, you know, what doesn't kill you should only make you stronger, and I think this should make us stronger. It's going to take some time, but it should make us stronger."

After a superhuman performance by quarterback Josh Allen put the Bills ahead 36-33 with 13 seconds remaining, the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL simply crumbled.

Plays that shaped the game: Speedsters keyed Chiefs' 42-36 OT win over Bills

The Kansas City Chiefs’ team speed was the biggest factor from start to finish – and especially at the finish – in the Buffalo Bills’ 42-36 overtime loss in the AFC divisional playoff game.

The Bills allowed Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes – no stranger to superhuman accomplishments himself – to march his team into range for a 49-yard field goal by Harrison Butker as time expired in the fourth quarter and send the game to overtime.

Mahomes moved the ball as though the Bills were playing with seven defenders to the Chiefs’ 11 offensive players. It took him just two plays to gain 44 yards, with a 19-yard completion to Tyreek Hill and a 25-yard completion to tight end Travis Kelce getting the job done.

"I don't want to really get into specifics," McDermott said of how the defense failed in such a way. "Just overall, there's things we talked about and we can just execute better and that starts with me and goes all the way down. I don't want to get into specifics right now. I'm really proud of the guys and their effort. Obviously, they made a couple plays down the stretch. So I'll just leave it at that right now."

It's understandable that McDermott wasn't going to single anyone out, but let’s call this what it was: An absolute, inexcusable failure from a defense that led the NFL in fewest yards and points allowed in the regular season. Mahomes or not, the end of the game can’t happen in that fashion.

It was actually the second time in regulation the Bills went full-on meltdown mode. After Allen and the offense took a 29-26 lead with 1:54 remaining on a 27-yard touchdown to Gabriel Davis and a two-point conversion by Stefon Diggs, the Chiefs stormed right back down the field.

Quarter by quarter: Bills, Chiefs ride roller coaster in AFC divisional playoff thriller

Don't miss Katherine Fitzgerald's quarter-by-quarter analysis of the Buffalo Bills' 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on AFC divisional playoff weekend ...

Hill, who finished with 11 catches for 150 yards, raced 64 yards to the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:02 remaining. 

"You’ve got to tackle well against this offense," McDermott said. "They’ve got great speed. A 5-yard catch can turn into a 50-yard run after catch. You saw the one. We were in two-man, I think, after the second-to-last touchdown by our offense when we went up a little bit there and Tyreek made a play and then he took it to the house. So, they challenge you defensively because of the speed that they have on offense.”

Even so, there was more than enough time for Allen, who put on one of the great performances in franchise history. He put together a 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown catch by Davis. That should have been enough, but the defense couldn't get it done. McDermott also can be second guessed. Instead of kicking off short, forcing the Chiefs to return the ball and run time off the clock, the Bills kicked a touchback, allowing Kansas City to take over at its 25-yard line.

"We talked about that," McDermott said. "Again, you know, I’m just going to put it on the execution at this point and myself, I’m just going to leave it at that.”

After tying the game, the Bills lost the coin flip in overtime, which spelled trouble with the defense’s inability to get off the field in the second half.

Bills receiver Gabriel Davis erupts to keep Bills in game before gutting loss

Despite what seemed like consistent pressure all night, the Bills’ defenders simply could not bring Mahomes down in the backfield. Mahomes ducked, dodged and dived around the Bills’ pass rush all night, buying time to either run it himself or extending the play long enough to find open receivers. He finished 33 of 44 for 378 yards and three touchdowns, and also led his team with seven carries for 69 yards and another touchdown.

The Chiefs made short work of overtime, with Mahomes completing a 10-yard pass to Kelce on third and 1. Two plays later, Mahomes completed a 16-yard pass to Jerick McKinnon. Two plays after that, Mahomes beat a blitz to complete a 26-yard catch-and-run to Mecole Hardman that put the ball at the Bills’ 8-yard line. Mahomes connected with Kelce on the next play for the game-winning score, and the Bills’ No. 1-ranked defense left the field, having failed the test.

"Obviously not the way we wanted to end our season," safety Jordan Poyer said. "Frick, man, offense did everything they had to do. Defense, we had to go out there and make a stop, weren't able to do it. It's just a tough feeling, man. Just a really tough feeling, hard to put in words. It (stinks). It's something we've got to live with, something we're going to have to learn from."

The Chiefs advance to host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game next Sunday – a game that would have been held in Highmark Stadium had the Bills finished the deal. The Bills will begin the painful process of cleaning out their lockers – no doubt wondering what could have been.

2. Davis finished with an unbelievable stat line. The second-year veteran had eight catches for 201 yards and four touchdowns – numbers that would be hard to believe in a game of Madden. In fact, they've never been done before – Davis' four-touchdown game was the first time in NFL history a player has had that many receiving touchdowns in a postseason game.

In addition to his two fourth-quarter touchdowns, he also reached the end zone from 18 yards out in the second quarter and hauled in a perfectly thrown bomb from Allen in the third quarter for a 75-yard touchdown. It was a legendary performance, and one that figures to cement Davis as a starter for the 2022 season.

"I looked at him on the sideline and I said, ‘Hey, you’re gonna make the play,’ and he darn sure made two big-time plays for us down the stretch there," McDermott said. 

"I talk about this all the time, but when your number’s called, you have to make the play," Davis said. "I knew it was going to be a night like that tonight, especially knowing that we have guys like, you know, Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley, that will be getting doubled more often than I would. So, I was just prepared for anything coming my way and I was able to, again, make the most of the plays that were called.”

3. Stefon Diggs was quiet. Diggs made a terrific catch on the two-point conversion that put the Bills up 29-26 in the fourth quarter, but otherwise finished with just three catches for 7 yards. It will be second-guessed well into the offseason why the team’s No. 1 receiver wasn’t more heavily involved early in the game.

"I think they had a good plan doubling him, especially on some of these third downs, rolling the safety over the top, playing two high and usually when you try to take away somebody and put two guys on No. 14, it opens up things for the other guys," Allen said. "Again, Gabe had his opportunities tonight and he made some outstanding plays. Even Cole making some great plays, getting everybody involved. Yeah, I mean, that’s what it came down to.”

A heartache finish for fans after raucous tailgating in Kansas City

Five hours before kickoff, dozens of fans brought a slice of Orchard Park to a parking lot in the shadow of Arrowhead Stadium.

4. Special teams had a costly breakdown. Punting from his own 15-yard line with 11:58 left in the fourth quarter, Matt Haack got off a good effort that traveled 54 yards. The Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill returned the punt 13 yards to the Kansas City 44-yard line, but an illegal block above the waist looked like it would push the Chiefs back. Unfortunately for the Bills, Taiwan Jones was also penalized for running out of bounds on the play, and the offsetting penalties meant the down was replayed.

Haack’s next punt wasn’t as good, traveling just 46 yards. Hill then somehow shook free up the right sideline, returning the ball to the Bills’ 16-yard line. The Buffalo defense actually came up with a rare stop, limiting the Chiefs to a 28-yard field goal by Butker that extended Kansas City’s lead to 26-21.

5. Devin Singletary extended his touchdown streak. The Bills’ running back scored for the ninth time in the past six games with his 1-yard touchdown run on the Bills’ first drive of the game. Singletary, however, failed to get much else going in the game, finishing with just 10 carries for 26 yards and four catches for 25 yards.

6. Efe Obada returned to the lineup. The veteran defensive end did not play in the Bills' 47-17 victory over the New England Patriots in the wild-card round, while defensive tackle Vernon Butler Jr. played 23 snaps. Obada has been dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out of the Week 18 game against the Jets.

"He's kind of day-to-day right now, so we'll see how he progresses as the week goes on," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said of Obada at the start of the week. "Be great to get him back, but we'll see. Hopefully, he'll make it back."

Twitter reactions: Bills fans heartbroken after wild overtime playoff loss to Kansas City

Tension peaked in a riveting fourth quarter that saw 25 total points scored in the game's final two minutes, leading to a roller coaster of emotions – stress, joy, anger and disappointment.

7. The Bills did not list any players on their final injury report. That meant in addition to Butler, the other six inactive players were all healthy inactives. That list included running back Matt Breida, wide receiver Marquez Stevenson, tight end Tommy Sweeney, offensive tackle Bobby Hart, cornerback Nick McCloud and safety Josh Thomas. McCloud and Thomas were called up to the active roster from the practice squad Saturday.

8. The Chiefs lost safety Tyrann Mathieu in the first quarter. Mathieu, a three-time, first-team All-Pro, suffered a concussion. That forced backup Daniel Sorensen into the game. Sorensen was benched after the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Chiefs.

9. Rashad Fenton was inactive for Kansas City. The Chiefs’ cornerback was questionable because of a back injury on the team’s final injury report. Running back Darrel Williams also did not play. He was questionable with a toe injury. Quarterback Shane Buechele, wide receiver Josh Gordon, defensive end Joshua Kaindoh and tackle Prince Tega Wanogho were the Chiefs’ other inactives.

10. Jody Fortson missed the game for Kansas City. Fortson, a Buffalo native who graduated from South Park High School and attended Erie Community College before transferring to Valdosta State University, is on Kansas City’s injured reserve. He played in Week 5 against the Bills, but suffered a torn Achilles the following week that knocked him out for the remainder of the season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Buffalo Bills were just 13 seconds away from hosting the AFC Championship Game.

Just 13 seconds.

Observations: Defensive breakdowns ruin Josh Allen's heroics, lead to one of most painful losses in Bills history

And the road to the Super Bowl would have run through Orchard Park.

Josh Allen and Gabriel Davis connected for an NFL playoff record four touchdowns – including two inside the two-minute warning to twice give the Bills a late lead – but the league’s best defense couldn’t hang on, allowing Patrick Mahomes to guide the Kansas City Chiefs into field goal range.

Harrison Butker kicked a 49 yarder to tie the score at 36-36 as time expired, the Chiefs won the coin flip and took the ball first in overtime, and Mahomes led an eight-play, 75-yard drive, capping it with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce to send the Bills to an agonizing 42-36 defeat on Sunday night at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Report Card: Coaching decisions, defensive woes doom Bills, leading to predictable grades

The Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game at 3:05 p.m. Sunday. The two-time reigning AFC champs will host the title game for a record fourth consecutive season.

The Bills will clean out their lockers and add “13 Seconds” near the top of the list of soul-crushing gut punches that include “Wide Right” and “Homerun Throwback.”

“It’s disappointing right now. It hurts right now,” Allen said. “You can say it’s going to be better, we’re going to learn from this and it’s very cliché and nobody wants to hear that. But I truly believe that this unit will learn from this. We’ve got a pretty young squad. A lot of guys coming back next year. We’ve just got to use this as fuel for the fire.”

The Bills’ offense was white hot down the stretch.

Davis’ third touchdown catch, a 27-yard strike from Allen on fourth and long, concluded a 17-play, 75-yard march and gave the Bills a 29-26 lead with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Bills receiver Gabriel Davis erupts to keep Bills in game before gutting loss

Then Mahomes connected with Tyreek Hill for a 64-yard score to put the Chiefs back on top 33-29 with 1:02 remaining.

Then Allen hit Davis again, this time from 19 yards out, to give the Bills a 36-33 lead with 13 seconds to go. Buffalo never touched the ball again.

Mahomes quickly guided the Chiefs into field goal range, then ended it on the first possession of the extra session.

“The rules are what they are and I can’t complain about that,” Allen said about losing the coin flip in overtime and not getting another possession, “because if it was the other way around, we’d be celebrating, too. It is what it is at this point. We just didn’t make enough plays tonight.”

Allen completed 27 of 37 pass attempts for 329 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history with nine touchdown passes and zero interceptions over back-to-back playoff games.

Allen also led the Bills in rushing, with 68 yards on 11 carries.

“It was a tremendous effort by Josh,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said, declining to provide much insight about why his team kicked a deep ball for a touchback after their final touchdown, preserving time on the clock, or his team’s failure to hold a lead with 13 seconds to play. “They made a couple more plays than we did obviously down the stretch there. But a tremendous job by Josh. The guys played their guts out.”

Davis caught eight of 10 targets for 201 yards and four touchdowns, from 18, 75, 27 and 19 yards.

Devin Singletary had 26 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, finding the end zone for the ninth time in six games.

Stefon Diggs was limited to three catches for seven yards and grabbed the two-point conversion on Davis’ third touchdown.

Quarter by quarter: Bills, Chiefs ride roller coaster in AFC divisional playoff thriller

Don't miss Katherine Fitzgerald's quarter-by-quarter analysis of the Buffalo Bills' 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on AFC divisional playoff weekend ...

“It’s a really tight-knit group, a lot of love,” Bills center Mitch Morse said about the offense, “and the unfortunate thing is, we’re not going to take the field as the same unit, and I think that’s what’s most heartbreaking.”

Mahomes completed 33 of 44 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns. He also led his team with 69 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

“We’re all hurt, sick to our stomach,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “You move on and you try to get yourself to learn from it. But it stings. It stings. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It stings.”

This was the game the Bills and their legions of fans had been waiting for since last season’s disappointing and resounding 38-24 defeat a year ago Monday, when Diggs stood on this same field, hands on hips, and watched the Chiefs dance through confetti while celebrating a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl.

The Bills enjoyed a degree of revenge earlier this season, stomping the Chiefs 38-20 in a nationally-televised primetime game here on Oct. 10, before Mahomes and the two-time AFC champions hit their stride. The Chiefs lost four of their first seven games to start the season. They’re 11-1 since.

Plays that shaped the game: Speedsters keyed Chiefs' 42-36 OT win over Bills

The Kansas City Chiefs’ team speed was the biggest factor from start to finish – and especially at the finish – in the Buffalo Bills’ 42-36 overtime loss in the AFC divisional playoff game.

The Bills’ regular season victory in Kansas City proved they were capable of walking into hostile territory and dethroning the Chiefs, even though much has changed since that game, namely, on the Bills’ side, the loss of All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White to a season-ending torn ACL on Thanksgiving.

The Bills lost their next two games after White's injury, at home against the Patriots in a relentless windstorm and on the road at Tampa, where they rallied from a 21-point halftime deficit to force overtime before falling to Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl champions. That performance steeled their resolve.

Buffalo won its next four games, including a victory in New England, and closed the regular season by celebrating a second consecutive AFC East championship, capturing back-to-back division titles for the first time since the 1990 and ’91 seasons.

The Bills followed that feat by eviscerating the New England Patriots 47-17 last weekend in the first home playoff game with a full crowd in a generation.

Allen led the epic beatdown, guiding Buffalo to seven touchdowns in seven drives as the Bills became the first team in NFL history to not punt, attempt a field goal or commit a turnover in a single game.

A heartache finish for fans after raucous tailgating in Kansas City

Five hours before kickoff, dozens of fans brought a slice of Orchard Park to a parking lot in the shadow of Arrowhead Stadium.

Bills Mafia will savor that performance for years to come.

The balance of power in the AFC East has shifted. There is no doubt.

Allen and the Bills run the division owned by the Patriots for two decades and should continue to wield the scepter for the foreseeable future.

But there’s an undeniable empty feeling about the way this season ended.

The Bills losing in the playoffs at Kansas City is not an improvement over last season.

Twitter reactions: Bills fans heartbroken after wild overtime playoff loss to Kansas City

Tension peaked in a riveting fourth quarter that saw 25 total points scored in the game's final two minutes, leading to a roller coaster of emotions – stress, joy, anger and disappointment.

In many respects, it’s a step back.

The Bills produced a worse regular season record than last year.

Allen and Diggs had lesser stats, despite an additional regular season game.

And, of course, this year’s playoff exit comes a round earlier.

“There’s only going to be one champion crowned at the end of the season, so that makes 31 unhappy teams,” Allen said. “Hats off to the Chiefs and what they did today. Pat played amazing. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and the Chiefs as a whole. They made one more play than we did. That's what it came down to. … We’ve got to find a way to be better next year and accomplish what we want to accomplish.”

Bills' Josh Allen applauds Patrick Mahomes' classy postgame gesture after playoff loss

To be sure, there were positives.

Dawson Knox emerged as one of the game’s top tight ends.

Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde were named first- and second-team All-Pro, respectively.

And the defense finished the season ranked No. 1 in the NFL in total yards, passing yards and points allowed during the regular season, though that shine is dulled by the meltdown in the final minutes in Kansas City.

The Bills’ 17-year postseason drought is ancient history. They have made the playoffs four times in five seasons. They have their franchise quarterback. They own the AFC East.

But, again, they couldn’t get past Mahomes and the Chiefs.

A return to the Super Bowl will have to wait.

KANSAS CITY – Buffalo Bills fans went through too many lean years where losses were expected and the tailgating was the main thing to look forward to on game day.

Photos: Bills Mafia 'circles the wagons' at Arrowhead Stadium

Buffalo is thriving now – notwithstanding Sunday’s wrenching divisional round loss to he Kansas City Chiefs that gutted fans like Jessica Ball, who traveled to Kansas City from Blasdell.

"Complete roller-coaster of emotions," she texted from the stands immediately after the game. "Absolutely heartbroken."

But win or lose, the pre-game tradition rolls on.

“I couldn’t imagine going to a game without it,” said Ariana Rodriguez, who was among hundreds of Bills fans from near and far who trekked to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for football – and tailgating.

Five hours before kickoff, dozens of fans brought a slice of Orchard Park to a parking lot in the shadow of Arrowhead.

Sahlen's hot dogs sizzling in a skillet. Zubaz as far as the eye can see. The "Shout" song playing on a portable speaker. And a lucky sweet potato waiting to be smuggled into the game.

Adam Ciaccio, who lives in Kansas City but acquired his Bills fandom living throughout upstate New York, said the Bills shouldn't need lucky totems. But, he hoped, "The potato's a good backup plan."

"I told him they're going to lay a potato," said Keshawn Triplett, a Chiefs fan "born and raised" who once worked with Ciaccio.

Nearby were pals Madison Brown, a Wheatfield native, and Elise Swackhamer, from the Finger Lakes, both now in Colorado. Swackhamer was at the AFC championship game in Kansas City last year, which the Bills lost, and the regular season game in October, which the Bills won.

"Best two out of three," Swackhamer said.

As they talked, a Bills fan jumped out of a car that pulled in next to them, cracked open a Blue Light and pounded it while profanely expressing his enthusiasm for Sunday's action.

A few spots over, Matt Harris was reading instructions on how to assemble a portable grill. The Eden native, now in Kansas City, lost his previous grill at the Atlanta Falcons game at Highmark Stadium.

Win or lose, Harris said under bright sunshine and blue skies, tailgating before a playoff game is worth savoring.

"It's a celebration," said Harris, in an Al Cowlings Bills jersey – really – and sitting in a folding chair hand-woven by his great-aunt. "We didn't have this for 20 years."

Catherine Cline, from Kansas City, and her sister, Kimberly Higgins, of Colorado, originally from Grand Island, had pre-packed Jello shots and a sign reading, "Maybe Next Year," with "Next" crossed out and replaced with "This."

"You can take the girl out of Buffalo, but you can't take the Buffalo out of the girl," Cline said.

"It's in our blood," Higgins added.

When a taunting Kansas City fan ran down the aisle waving a "This is Chiefs Kingdom" flag, the sisters joined in the vocal response.

Ryan Strobel, vice president of the Dallas Bills Backers, had the Sahlen's dogs going on the grill, with Weber's mustard on standby. Strobel, who got married in October, said his wife, Leslie, had Jim Kelly record a Cameo video for their reception.

Taking in the red-white-and-blue scene, Strobel marveled, "It's crazy to see how Bills fans travel."

The youngest traveler was Cheektowaga's Lincoln Kinmartin, 6 months old in a tiny Josh Allen jersey and strapped to his father's chest.

"His first tailgate," Matt Kinmartin said with the same pride as if Lincoln had spoken his first word.

Asked if Lincoln was ready to be baptized into the congregation of Bills fans with a ritual table-breaking, mom, Jessica, quipped, "I'm not going to say no to that."

Across a busy roadway from the stadium, a private parking area known ominously as "Lot X" drew hundreds of Bills fans to a raucous party that soon became a graveyard for plastic folding tables.

"We're the best fans in the world," said Marie Dale, who graduated from Williamsville South High School – "Go Billies" – but lives in Dallas. "People in Buffalo, we stick with things through thick or thin."

The crowd at the official tailgating party grew thicker by the minute. Gregory "Booker" Wells – who has attended just about every game, home and away, for 30 years – was resplendent in a pink suit, one of roughly 300 he owns, as he checked for proof of admission to the party run by his son.

Party-goers included a group carrying another plastic table high as another offering to the churning sea of fans.

"It's the Bills Mafia, baby," Wells said, flashing his Bills-painted fingernails.

Nearby, Danielle Richie, a Durham, N.C., resident who grew up in Rome, N.Y., shook her head at the prospect of the great tailgating ritual.

“I think the table would break me before I broke the table,” she said, laughing.