They just can’t get over the hump. Groundhog Day comes early for the Buffalo Bills and their loyal fans, especially since 2021 when the familiar nightmare that is Patrick Mahomes continuously haunts them. Make that three out of four years now Mahomes has put Buffalo out to pasture.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Much like with the Dallas Cowboys, there was meant to be a new air surrounding this Bills team; they’d heated up at the right time, they seemed to be reinvigorated and determined to fight for their coach after a conspicuous, well-times hit-piece emerged and they’d beaten the Chiefs already away from home in the regular season.
This was supposed to be their year and with a closing window, their future status as Superbowl contenders grows more tenuous with each disappointment.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe most frustrating thing for Buffalo will be wondering, what more could they do? They dominated time and possession running 78 plays for 37 minutes compared to Kansas City’s 47 plays. Josh Allen was as great as he could be.
He dusted off two touchdown runs on long drives which gave the Bills the lead. He continuously prolonged drives with his feet keeping his team in scoring contention as Kansas City’s stout defence refused to allow any big plays through the air.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut despite the heroics, it never seemed to matter because every time Josh Allen and the Bills capped off their arduous drives, the Chiefs came right back and punched them in the face with quick and deflating touchdowns. 9.3 yards per pass for the Chiefs, and 4.3 yards per pass for the Bills just about sums up how offensively efficient the Chiefs were and how contained the Buffalo Bills were.
It’s a problem when a rookie tight end and a fifth-round wide receiver are your two best pass-catchers and are held to under 50 yards. The enigma of Stefon Diggs will yet again be the hot topic of rumour and conversation following this car crash performance.
Is it more drama and unhappiness with him, or has he lost a step in his production, since his poor performances have extended for over two months?
Diggs was nonexistent for 30 yards in coverage tonight against the brilliant L’Jarius Sneed, who across two games has held Diggs to a total of 7 catches and 45 yards. Allen attempted to make a couple of big plays down the stretch; a 60-yarder where Diggs couldn’t make it and another where Sherfield couldn’t get his arms under the ball.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Buffalo Bills battled and scrapped for every yard on the final drive and when it was all said and done they had to suffer the trauma of history repeating itself. Wide-right. The three-point kick sailed in the wind deflating the crowd to another failed hype year.
The Chiefs are inevitable. It doesn’t matter what type of season they have and whether or not they have star receivers; whether Travis Kelce shows rapid signs of decline in his career or whether or not anybody wants the Chiefs there or not. They will get there. They flip the switch and refuse to be foiled, scrambled or prevented by anything.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt is mystifying but some teams just seem to be able to do it where even third-rate players like Valdes-Scantling, who has never made a memorable play in his career, pulled in a stunning catch over the head of the CB that kicked off the second-half touchdown drive.
Where despite Kelce’s struggles for most of the season, he returns to peak form, for one night at least, with a two-touchdown night.
Isiah Pacheco was reliably effective running with the ball but it was eye-popping to see draft-bust Edwards-Helaire making explosive 20-yard gashes that make one wonder, how do they do this?
Championship teams, simply, find a way and everything offensively and defensively was flowing for the Chiefs who at no point seemed to sense any pressure or feel any doubt in their minds that they wouldn’t win.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis seems to all stem from Patrick Mahomes who looked comfortable the whole game as if he knew the outcome already and so it didn’t matter that the Buffalo Bills kept the ball out of his hands and in the hands of Allen because Mahomes is the one who possesses the controls for the game and will eventually find a way to win because he wills it to be that way.
They’re truly the new dynasty in football and one where anything less than the conference finals would be disappointing and given the way they so breezily dispatched Buffalo, they’re going to be here for a long time to come.
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