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Alaina GetzenbergESPN
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The game appeared over.
Quarterback Josh Allen quickly marched the Buffalo Bills downfield, converting two fourth downs and finding wide receiver Gabriel Davis for their fourth touchdown connection of the game to take a 36-33 lead. Surely the Chiefs wouldn’t be able to march downfield to tie the game with 13 seconds remaining.
But despite the offense’s heroics, the Bills defense came up short when it was needed most. The Chiefs marched downfield and Harrison Butker kicked a 49-yard game-tying field goal before the Chiefs quickly won the game on the first drive of overtime, 42-36, to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
A game that will go down as one of the best in postseason history ends with the Bills’ season coming to a close. The 25 points scored in the last two minutes of regulation are the second-most of regulation of any game in the Super Bowl era, per Elias Sports Bureau.
The divisional-round game featured four lead changes in the final two minutes and ended in devastating fashion for the Bills, who had sights all season long set on the Super Bowl.
The loss also marks a second consecutive year that the Bills’ season has ended at Arrowhead Stadium after a loss in the AFC Championship Game last year, 38-24. Buffalo has yet to win a road playoff game under coach Sean McDermott (0-4).
Davis had a breakout performance in the game, becoming the first player in postseason history to catch four touchdown passes. He finished with eight receptions for 201 yards.
After an offseason partially built around addressing problems that came up last postseason against the Chiefs, especially the pass rush, the Bills have to get back to work on finding ways to get past Kansas City.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce again had big games against the Bills, combining for 246 yards on 19 receptions and two touchdowns. Chiefs quarterback <a href="http://Patrick Mahomes“>Patrick Mahomes finished with 378 yards and three touchdowns.
On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs were able to take wide receiver Stefon Diggs out of the game. He finished with three receptions on six targets for 7 yards and a successful two-point conversion.
The Bills will now head into an offseason with limited cap room, but much of the team returning for yet another run at finding their way back to the big game.
Describe the game in two words: Heartbreaking end. The Bills’ No. 1 defense fell just short when the team needed stops with a trip to the AFC Championship at stake.
QB breakdown: Allen continued his postseason magic, completing 27 of 37 passes for 329 yards and four touchdowns. He was also the team’s leading rusher with 68 yards on 11 carries and had six rushing first downs, the most by a quarterback in the last two postseasons. Allen finished the postseason with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions. It wasn’t enough to come away with the win, but Allen had some of his best performances of the season in the playoffs.
