Pats Pulpit
The Bills lost the AFC Championship Game to the Chiefs on Sunday.
For the fourth time in the last five years, the Buffalo Bills faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. And for the fourth time, the game ended in heartbreak for the team of head coach Sean McDermott and quarterback Josh Allen.
Just like last year’s divisional round matchup, the AFC Championship Game on Sunday was decided by three points: the Chiefs celebrated a 32-29 victory at Arrowhead Stadium, moving on to Super Bowl LIX — their fifth title game appearance since the 2019 season — while sending the Bills packing once again.
For Buffalo, the loss is the latest in an underwhelming string of postseason performances. Despite winning their division each of the last five years, they only posted a 7-5 playoff record and have yet to advance past Championship Weekend.
As a consequence of the Bills coming up short time and again, the New England Patriots still remain the latest team to represent the AFC East in the Super Bowl.
The Patriots, who are in full rebuilding mode after back-to-back 4-13 seasons, made the Super Bowl to cap off their 2018 campaign. Their 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in February 2019 marks not just the franchise’s most recent playoff victory, but also the last time one of the four AFC East clubs has lifted the Lombardi Trophy.
Before that game, New England had done so five other times. For the last non-Patriots team crowned champions of the world, you will have to go back to 1973, when the Miami Dolphins won their second Super Bowl.
The last non-Patriots appearance in the big game, meanwhile, came in January 1994, when the Bills lost their fourth Super Bowl in a row. Since that day, New England has made it to 10 Super Bowls, winning six.
Buffalo had a chance to succeed them as the latest AFC East club advancing that far in the playoffs. However, they once again stumbled over a familiar foe.
