21 months later, the Bills haven’t gotten over that 13-second playoff collapse against the Chiefs

Following a 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos, a game marked by organizational breakdowns, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was asked to reflect on his emotions. Allen paused, gazing at the microphone before delivering the poignant admission, “It sucks.”

This seemingly simple phrase encapsulated countless deflating moments in his career, such as in September when he fell short against the New York Jets and the false positive COVID test in August 2020. It was a sentiment that echoed after the late-December 2019 loss to the New England Patriots and resurfaced when controversial tweets from his youth surfaced ahead of the NFL Draft in 2018.

There was something uniquely familiar in Allen’s sentiments following Monday night’s loss, a sense that something underneath the Bills remains fundamentally fractured. This feeling harks back to the infamous collapse against the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs 661 days ago – a watershed moment in Buffalo history when 13 seconds changed everything.

Fast forward to the Broncos loss, and it’s apparent that the Bills are treading water, perhaps even regressing, instead of evolving into the Super Bowl-caliber team fans had hoped for. Despite a top-10 scoring offense statistically, the team’s output has been lackluster, marked by turnovers and inconsistency. An unsettling offshoot of this pattern is a perceived waning of Allen’s fiery spirit as mistakes accumulate and losses mount.

The hiring of Joe Brady as the new offensive coordinator holds promise for reigniting the team’s offensive prowess. However, the need for significant improvement remains evident, leading head coach Sean McDermott to emphasize the necessity of finding “confidence, energy, and consistent production.”

Tracing back to the stunning playoff loss against the Chiefs, where the Bills and Allen faltered, it becomes evident that the team has struggled to find its footing since that pivotal moment. As Allen enters a new phase of his career, the need for stability and consistent growth is underscored by the revolving door of offensive coordinators. It remains unclear whether the Bills will reclaim their former glory, and as Allen looks ahead, the road to redemption seems longer and more arduous than ever.