‘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.”’
Archives for January 24, 2022
Observations: Defensive breakdowns ruin Josh Allen’s heroics, lead to one of most painful losses in Bills history
‘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.’
Bills receiver Gabriel Davis erupts to keep game going in gutting loss
‘While Davis erupted, wide receiver Stefon Diggs had just seven receiving yards. Allen said that stemmed from how Kansas City defended him.’
Plays that shaped the game: Speedsters keyed Chiefs’ 42-36 OT win over Bills
‘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.’
Quarter by quarter: Bills, Chiefs ride roller coaster in AFC divisional playoff thriller
‘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.’
Report Card: Coaching decisions, defensive woes doom Bills, leading to predictable grades
‘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.’
A heartache finish for fans after raucous tailgating in Kansas City
‘”Complete roller-coaster of emotions,” she texted from the stands immediately after the game. “Absolutely heartbroken.”‘
Instant reactions: Bills suffer one of most gut-wrenching losses in history in OT to Chiefs
‘It was bad enough that the Bills missed tackles all over the field all night long, particularly on Tyreek Hill’s 64-yard TD that appeared to give the Chiefs the victory with 1:02 to play in regulation. But to fail the way it did in such spectacular fashion on the last possession of regulation was next-level horrendous.’
Bills report card: Josh Allen’s legendary effort wasted by defensive debacle against Chiefs
‘The two best teams left in the postseason at 6:40 Sunday night were the Bills and Chiefs, and only the Chiefs moved on. What a dreadful shame to lose in such an inexplicable, downright unbelievable way, a loss that just further drives that dagger deeper into the hearts of a fan base that somehow hasn’t completely collapsed under the weight of perpetual disappointment.’
This Bills’ defeat one of franchise’s most devastating
‘The Bills seemed to have it won twice in that span, and the Chiefs appeared to have won it once.’
Buffalo’s Davis enters NFL playoff record book
‘Buffalo wide receiver Gabriel Davis wrote his name in the NFL playoff record book, becoming the first player ever to score four receiving touchdowns in a game. Davis scored on passes of 18, 75, 27 and 19 yards and finished with eight receptions for 201 yards. Buffalo needed them as the other wideouts didn’t produce much. Stefon Diggs was invisible (3 catches for 7 yards), Cole Beasley had 6-for-60 and Emmanuel Sanders 1-for-10.’
Sean McDermott doesn’t want to talk about what happened in final 13 seconds vs. Chiefs
‘“We can just execute better and that starts with me and goes all the way down,” McDermott said. “I don’t want to get into specifics right now. I’m really proud of the guys and their effort. Obviously [the Chiefs] made a couple plays down the stretch. So I’ll just leave it at that right now.”’
Tails sometimes fails: Bills’ Josh Allen had been perfect calling coin toss before Sunday’s game vs. Chiefs
‘Losing the pre-game coin flip did not seem to affect Buffalo much with the team marching down the field for a touchdown, but losing the overtime coin flip proved costly. Kansas City received the ball, scored a touchdown and ended the game without Buffalo ever getting a chance to win.’
Josh Allen’s heroics fall short as Bills defense gets embarrassed by Chiefs in 42-36 overtime loss (Report card)
‘Buffalo’s defense missed an unbelievable amount of tackles in the game. Despite Josh Allen’s heroics on offense, Buffalo’s defense wilted under the lights in Arrowhead Stadium.’
Bills’ Josh Allen & Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes draw comparisons to Peyton Manning/Tom Brady (Media reactions)
‘The back-and-forth matchup between the two left many media members thinking that the NFL has its new Peyton Manning/Tom Brady rivalry. Following the legendary performance between the two quarterbacks, here is what the national media was saying about Allen and Mahomes.’