Trailing 32-29 and 3:33 on the clock, the Bills quickly gained a first down thanks to a 13-yard scramble. They gained just five yards on their next two plays, bringing up a 4th and 5 from their own 47.
On Allen’s 4th and 2 touchdown run earlier in the season, Kansas City showed pressure but only rushed four, allowing Allen free access to leave the pocket for his 26-yard TD run. This time, the Chiefs brought safety Justin Reid and corner Trent McDuffie on a blitz from the right side, which caught Allen by surprise, as he believed Kansas City’s initial look was a blitz from the left side.
‘They gave a good look and didn’t see anything in my first cadence. We were sliding (O-line protection) left, corner came, and yeah,” a somber Allen said postgame.
Allen had to bail from the pocket and throw up a prayer to TE Dalton Kincaid who had to change direction and adjust, but the ball went through the arms of the 2023 first round pick.
-“The opportunities are to catch it and it should be a catch,” Kincaid admitted.
And just like that, the opportunity to punch a ticket to the Super Bowl slipped through Buffalo’s grasp again. Sunday marked the fourth time in the last five seasons that the Chiefs have ended the Bills postseason run.
“You can either get it done or you can’t and we didn’t get it done,” Allen said. “They’ve ended a lot of teams’ seasons too. It’s a good squad, they had a good plan tonight, and again they made one more play than we did.”
