13 seconds. 13 freaking seconds. As I lay in bed a couple of hours after the game had ended all I could think about was 13 seconds. The Bills were 13 seconds from one of the greatest wins in franchise history. 13 seconds from hosting the AFC Championship game for the first time in nearly 30 years. Since I would have expected them to beat Cincinnati at an electric Highmark Stadium, in my mind they were 13 seconds from being in the Super Bowl for the first time in 28 years.
Then it all slipped away and instead we have a new chapter in the book of absolutely heartbreaking losses by a Buffalo team. Just add this to "Wide Right", "Music City Miracle" and "No Goal". We now have "13 seconds".
We should be talking about one of the greatest single game performances by a Bills quarterback in franchise history. After Josh Allen's second go ahead touchdown pass inside the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, I was trying to figure out the exact place to build the statue of him.
We should be talking about the Bills franchise quarterback stacking signature wins as he elevated his game to another level. Allen had willed the team to victory in a take back control of the AFC East win at New England.
Allen then helped exorcise demons by dismantling the Patriots in a wild card win. Then he went toe to toe with the defending heavyweight champion Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City and knocked the champ out.
In the second half, Allen produced a one-play, 75-yard touchdown drive with a perfectly thrown bomb to Gabriel Davis.
Allen then put the Bills up 29-26 after a 17 play, 75-yard drive that took seven big minutes off the clock. He used his legs to convert a 3rd-and-4 and a 4th-and-4. Then Allen threw a touchdown strike to Davis on 4th-and-13. 4th-and-13!
Allen and company were asked to do it again after Mahomes put the Chiefs back up and the Bills quarterback answered the challenge. A six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive saw Allen complete four passes for all 75 of those yards on a drive that never reached third down.
Then the Bills made three mistakes and it all added up to a game tying field goal. I didn't like the decision to kick it deep and then the coaching staff made it worse with their plan on defense.
Believe me, I did think to myself there are still 13 seconds left, the Chiefs have all three time outs left, they have a super human quarterback and a kicker with a strong and accurate leg. But deep down inside I was convinced the game was over. Too much cushion on the pass to Hill and no one in the same zip code as Kelce ended that thought.
This one hurts really bad. It is going to haunt us for the entire off season. It was there for the taking. A Super Bowl berth and maybe that elusive first Bills Super Bowl championship. Then everything changed in 13 freaking seconds.
Losi and Gangi
