Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills went toe-to-toe with the mighty Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round and were within mere seconds of heading to their second straight AFC Championship Game. Unfortunately, the Bills' normally stout defense fell victim to Patrick Mahomes' brilliance in the final 13 seconds of regulation and then in overtime after losing the coin toss. Mahomes got the Chiefs into position for a Harrison Butker game-tying kick to send the game to overtime before marching his team down the field for a lightning-quick touchdown to Travis Kelce that ended Buffalo's season.
Because of the NFL's overtime rules, Allen didn't even get a chance to respond, and the final result was a 42-36 Bills loss.
Even though Buffalo lost in gut-wrenching fashion, this team held its own in an all-time classic game. The Bills looks like they'll be a force to be reckoned with for a long time with Allen at the helm.
Let's now take a look at the two major takeaways from the Bills' heartbreaking playoff loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.
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Buffalo Bills Takeaways vs. Chiefs
1. Josh Allen held his own against Patrick Mahomes
Even though he just lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the playoffs for the second straight year, Josh Allen was still able to match wits with the best quarterback in the NFL. His precision, awareness, and clutch playmaking led to several big scores for the Bills and gave them the lead multiple times.
Whether he was throwing deep balls or going on big runs, Allen went all-out and unquestionably held his own against the Super Bowl-winning quarterback and former NFL MVP. After posting 329 passing yards (plus 68 rushing yards) on 27-of-37 passing to go along with four touchdowns on the day, Allen showed that he can definitely keep pace with Mahomes and has the potential to outduel him when the pressure's on.
Allen made clutch throw after clutch throw, including what he thought would be the game-winning score to Gabriel Davis late in the fourth quarter with mere seconds remaining. It was Davis' fourth receiving touchdown on the day as Allen kept exploiting a struggling Chiefs secondary.
While it was unfortunately all for naught, Allen showed why he's a legitimate franchise quarterback and one of the most exciting players in the NFL.
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2. The Buffalo Bills will be back with a vengeance
The Bills have looked like a Super Bowl contender the last two seasons, only to be thwarted by the Chiefs both times. You can bet Buffalo will be back with a vengeance next season in the hopes of finally overtaking Kansas City as the team to beat in the AFC. As they continue to elevate their play each season and transform into a force of nature on both ends of the field, the Bills are primed to make a Super Bowl run in 2023. This would be the ultimate milestone for them as they'd be bringing home the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in franchise history.
With talents like Allen, Davis, Stefon Diggs, Devin Singletary, Dawson Knox, Emmanuel Sanders (free agent), Cole Beasley, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, and Tremaine Edmunds, the Bills are more than capable of reaching this historic feat next season. Not to mention they'll also be getting Tre'Davious White back at full strength, and with his return, they'll be an unstoppable force that's bound to take the league by storm.
So watch out for this Bills squad moving forward, because they've got a plethora of talent and star power that can match any team in the league. This is especially true after they came within just a few seconds of beating the reigning AFC champions this past Sunday. If they can stay the course and stick to the grind, there will be no stopping them come this time next season.
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