Bills-Chiefs: Josh Allen has no reason to hang his head
The Buffalo Bills lost a heartbreaker to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, but Bills quarterback Josh Allen gave reason to believe.
Josh Allen isn’t winning this Super Bowl, but he will win another.
Allen, 25, was irrepressible in the AFC Divisional Game on Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium. He led multiple would-be game-winning drives in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter with touchdown passes on both occasions to Gabriel Davis. One came on 4th and 13. Another came with 13 seconds remaining to give Buffalo a 36-33 lead.
Want $250 to bet on the NFL Conference Championships?
Somehow, someway, Buffalo didn’t win. The reasons are many, although one could simply point to Allen’s counterpart, Patrick Mahomes, and that would do.
Yet while Mahomes’ performance with his team moving on will rightfully get most of the headlines on the Monday shows, let’s not forget about Allen. Hell, let’s highlight him.
In a game where he had to be perfect for Buffalo to stay around, Allen delivered arguably the best performance of his career considering the circumstances. He threw for 329 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 68 yards, helping Buffalo torch a reeling Kansas City defense throughout the final 17 minutes of regulation.
He was brilliant on Buffalo’s penultimate possession, converting a 4th and 6 despite pressure from both edge rusher Melvin Ingram and defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, scrambling to the marker. Then, moments later, the cannon shot to Davis on 4th and 13.
Read: Tom Brady Says Retirement Talk Is ‘Day By Day’ After Playoff Loss
For Allen, the only mistake of his night came when he called tails on the overtime coin toss. From there, the Chiefs received, Mahomes took the ball and eight plays later, the fireworks were going off with Travis Kelce celebrating his touchdown catch.
Still, none of this should diminish Allen’s performance. If you look closely, it’s a mile marker of what’s to come. While some will argue Buffalo took a step back because the Bills fell a round prior to where they were in 2020, this was a better team with a more complete roster.
For Allen, the Bills and their fans, it’s a brutal end to a wonderful season. Buffalo famously is without a Super Bowl win, and that stings badly. Yet if Allen’s showing on Sunday — and most of what we’ve seen over the past two years — is any indication, Buffalo’s trophy case won’t remain empty for much longer.
Allen and his charges came up short on Sunday, but their time is coming.
