“If they are a car, then he is the engine,” said Shannon Sharpe about the Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes after the AFC Championship win against the Bills. Rightly so. In the post-game conference, Josh Allen looked like a man who had met with an accident. He definitely won respect, but even he needs a Super Bowl. Most football fans believe that the Bills team let down their signal caller. There might be some truth there.

Super Bowl winner Drew Brees also echoed the same sentiment on the January 27 episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd. While talking about the game, he said, “I look at two opportunities where the bills are on the way to the Super Bowl if other guys could just do their job right and make the plays. It takes everybody executing in order to give you that opportunity.” That’s right. Everyone came together for the Chiefs to win the game. For starters, their receiving leader was rookie Xavier Worthy with 6 catches for 85 yards and 1 touchdown. Even on the last 3rd & 9 play of the game, with 1 minutes 35 seconds remaining, Patrick Mahomes made a pass to RB Samaje Perine who went 17 yards. That’s the confidence they have built with clock management. However, the Bills rely on Josh Allen for everything.

Brees even praised Allen for brilliantly overcoming the Chiefs’ DC Steve Spagnuolo’s disguise on their last play of the game. While talking about that 4th & 5 play at the 2-minute warning, the NFL legend added, “Credit to Spags, I mean that was an unbelievable pressure disguise and execution on that fourth down play, But for Josh Allen to buy time, launch that ball to Kincaid. I mean very few QBs would have the wherewithal to extend that play, find the guy, and get the ball out down the field like that. You couldn’t have done it any better.”

The Chiefs defense just blitzed the Bills pocket protection with an extra man. But their signal caller somehow managed to avoid a sack. And made a great 30-yard pass. With a diving attempt, TE Dalton Kincaid even had his hands under the ball, but he couldn’t hold it. The Arrowhead was filled with a loud noise, knowing the home team will finish it up.

The Bills QB connected on 22 of 34 passes (64.7% completion rate) for 237 yards and 1 touchdown. In the rushing game too, he finished with 11 attempts for 39 yards. But couldn’t take his team across the finishing line.

Drew Brees points out a major error in Josh Allen’s plays

While the Chiefs were on the top of their game, the Bills also made a strategic error that cost them. It was four 4th & 1 plays. NFL legend also pointed to it and added, “It certainly felt repetitive and especially in the fact that it wasn’t working right as well as probably, they expected. I’ve always felt that the true quarterback sneak there is an art to it. There’s an art to finding the soft spots.” Only the HC Sean McDermott can provide clarity on that.

In the 3rd quarter, they had a 7-minute drive that ended with a touchdown. RB James Cook sneaked past the Chiefs’ defense and landed the ball in the end zone. But their ploy backfired in the 4th quarter. In the first 4th & 1 play of the final quarter, Josh Allen nearly fumbled the ball, leaping over the pile of bodies, but recovered it. However, they failed to convert their next 4th & 1 on the very next series as referee Clete Blakeman controversially ruled Allen short.

Fans were furious. They even started a trend against the league, accusing them of bias. In the end, the Bills lost their 4th playoff game against the Chiefs with Josh Allen at the helm. That was brutal. But there could be only one winner. And the Bills weren’t it.