Murphy: Bills had shot to overcome Chiefs, but played a season worth remembering

The Bills had a chance.

Despite a sputtering offense, with Josh Allen struggling, despite two starters out in the secondary, despite uneven officiating and bad ball-spotting, they had a chance to win it or tie it in the fourth quarter.

That’s why Sunday’s 32-29 loss in the AFC Championship hurts so bad. That’s also the reason why the Chiefs are so good.

Kansas City did just enough to win. They made just enough swing passes to running backs, like the one to Isiah Pacheco that went for 10 yards with 1:50 left in the game to put it away.

Take a look at the game’s final stats. It doesn’t get any closer.

Yet when Josh Allen plays just OK rather than with his usual greatness, it makes a difference. Especially at the start of the game, Josh was just off. Whether it was nerves or Steve Spagnola’s blitzing or just the law of averages bringing Josh back toward the pack, we’ll never know.

Losing CB Christian Benford late in the first quarter was critical. His replacement, Kair Elam, was a target of the KC passing attack the rest of the game. The Bills were already without safety Taylor Rapp.

Uneven officiating hurt the Bills in the fourth quarter. Not that KC gets a break from the officials, but awarding postseason assignments to officiating “all-star” teams is wrong. Never was this more evident than on the Bills first possession of the fourth quarter, which actually began in the third.

The Bills got a ‘tush push” from Allen to keep the drive alive but then faced another fourth-and-one at the Chiefs 41-yard line to keep the drive alive and maybe extend their one-point lead.

Josh tried another push to the left side — one official ruled it good, the second ruled it short. It clearly looked like Allen had it but the replay ruled otherwise. Having two officials used to working with each other would have cleared up the confusion.

Kansas City started the next drive at the 41 and scored the go-ahead touchdown. Buffalo got a touchdown; the Chiefs got a field goal, and the Bills had one more chance to tie it up.

Starting at their 30, the Bills were looking at fourth-and-5 from their own 37.

Kansas City blitzed from the cornerback spot for the first and only time in the game. Spagnola saved his crowning achievement for the end. Josh hurried the throw, and he STILL delivered a catchable ball to Dalton Kincaid. He dropped it. Game over.

The Bills are short again to the Chiefs. By three points, again.

So, with little time for introspection, what do we learn?

Coaching makes a difference. Spagnola’s blitzes, not just the final one, bothered Allen all day. Maybe even coming into the game he was already in Allen’s head.

Patrick Mahomes is a hair better than Josh Allen. Just a little bit. Enough to take a swing pass to a running back over a heroic downfield throw when it matters.

And, finally: The 2024 Bills were uproarious fun. Even with Josh Allen’s tendency to play hero-ball. Tough as it is to accept, they played a season worth remembering.