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Cue Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe.” The Buffalo Bills and their endlessly patient fans are trapped in “Groundhog Day,” forced to suffer through the same brutal fate– a gut-wrenching playoffs loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Missed opportunities and all-time greatness, with some controversial officiating mixed in, combined to form the most astounding case of deja vu in recent sports history.
Following Sunday’s AFC Championship, which resulted in a gripping 32-29 Chiefs victory, Josh Allen is more comparable to Bill Murray’s Phil Connors than ever before. Despondency and emotional exhaustion covered his face, as he watched KC celebrate at his expense for the fourth time in five years. Unlike the aforementioned film, however, the star quarterback and his teammates are still waiting to have an epiphany.
There is no Andie MacDowell or an impactful experience with an elderly homeless man to push Buffalo forward on its journey. The song has not changed, and neither has its painful franchise history. And the irony of this analogy is that these continued outcomes prevent Allen and the Bills from ever experiencing Feb. 2 as a conquering hero.
The NFL-watching world is doing its best to make sense of this latest showdown.
“Buffalo sports are just cursed,” @hayyyshayyy posted. “Just wild.” Others used their own analogies to describe this ongoing pattern. “Josh Allen and the Bills are all those Eastern Conference NBA teams in the Nineties that ran into Michael Jordan and the Bulls,” best-selling author Ian O’Connor said. “Just terrible timing.”
The losing squad certainly weathered its share of misfortune in Arrowhead Stadium, capped off by a dramatic, momentum-swinging fourth-and-1 tush push that was called in the Chiefs’ favor, but it also faltered in key moments.
Mahomes further cemented his legendary prowess and dazzled on the big stage, punishing the Bills’ defense in the air (18-of-26 for 245 yards and one touchdown) and on the ground (two rushing scores). His unflinching ability to make the winning plays in clutch time transcends the playoff numbers he produces, which are already quite impressive. Mahomes delivered the knockout blow after connecting with Samaje Perine for a short pass on third-and-9 with a little more than a minute and a half remaining.
Many are still in awe of No. 15. Longtime Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr. captured the moment with just one word. “Mahomes.” While the 29-year-old QB and the Chiefs prepare to do something never done before– win three consecutive Super Bowls– everyone is left wondering if there is anyone in this era who can definitively take the crown from this supreme ruler.
“Can’t wait for next year when we all tell ourselves the Chiefs are beatable and it’s Allen or Jackson’s year!!” WFAN’s Chris McMonigle posted on X. When assessing a player of Allen’s caliber, the expectation is that a breakthrough will eventually happen. What is most dumbfounding is that the 2024-25 MVP candidate continues to show up in...
