Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was left in tears as he shouldered the blame for Saturday's Divisional Round defeat to the Denver Broncos.
Allen and the Bills endured more playoff heartbreak as their season ended in a 33-30 overtime defeat, prolonging their agonising pursuit of a Super Bowl.
Buffalo have now been beaten in the Divisional Round four times and in the AFC Championship Game twice within the last six seasons, including four defeats to the Kansas City Chiefs heading into the 2025 campaign.
Allen, who lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions, was picked off by Ja'Quan McMillian late in overtime before Wil Lutz sealed the win for Denver with a field goal.
"It's extremely difficult," said an emotional Allen. "I feel like I let my team-mates down tonight.
"Missed opportunities throughout the game. It's been a long season. I hate how it ended and that's going to stick with me for a long time.
"You can't win with five turnovers. I fumbled twice, threw two picks. When you shoot yourself in the foot like that you don't deserve to win football games.
"Losing that way regardless, losing in the playoffs is not fun. If one or two plays go our way, it's a different story."
Asked what he had said to team-mates in the locker room post-game, Allen admitted he had hardly spoken. Other than to tell them he loved them.
"I love my team-mates," Allen explained. "I'm extremely sorry and disappointed in how this ended."
With Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid's Chiefs nowhere to be seen in this year's playoff picture, the Bills were deemed to be staring at one of their best opportunities to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 campaign, which marked the last of the franchise's infamous four straight Super Bowl defeats.
They would instead encounter a rejuvenated New England Patriots team that, led by Drake Maye, snapped Buffalo's streak of division titles to win the AFC East for the first time since 2019. Denver had meanwhile ended Kansas City's monopoly on the AFC West on their way to securing the No 1 seed, home-field advantage and a first-round playoff bye.
Buffalo entered the postseason knowing they would likely require three wins on the road to reach the Super Bowl. Only five teams have ever won three road games before lifting the Lombardi Trophy.
They opened their playoff campaign with victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars thanks to Allen's touchdown with a minute to play during Wild Card weekend, but could not overcome a Denver Broncos team that has thrived late in games this season.
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