Facing a crucial moment, the Bills sent Bass out to attempt the field goal with 1:43 left on the clock. Unfortunately for Buffalo, the kick sailed wide right, leaving the team trailing by three points. This turn of events marked another chapter in the Bills’ history of playoff heartbreak, reminiscent of the infamous “wide right” incident in Super Bowl XXV.
In that pivotal Super Bowl game, held on January 27, 1991, the Bills faced the New York Giants. With eight seconds remaining, Buffalo’s kicker Scott Norwood attempted a game-winning field goal from 47 yards out, but the ball drifted wide right, leading to a 20-19 victory for the Giants and leaving an indelible mark on Bills history.
Now, more than three decades later, the Bills found themselves in a similar situation against the Chiefs, and the outcome was once again determined by a missed field goal attempt. The 27-24 loss to the Chiefs marked another painful postseason exit for Buffalo, adding to their history of heartbreak in playoff games.
However, on this occasion, Bass’s kick did not find its mark. It went wide right once again.
This miss signaled the end of another season of disappointment for the Buffalo Bills. Despite achieving an 11-6 record and securing their fourth consecutive AFC East title, the team’s postseason journey fell short yet again. This marks the third consecutive year in which the Bills have been unable to progress beyond the divisional round.
Under the leadership of head coach Sean McDermott, the Bills now hold a postseason record of 5-6. The team’s most notable playoff advancement occurred in the 2020 AFC Championship Game, where they were defeated by the Chiefs. This pattern of playoff exits continued in the 2021 and 2023 divisional playoffs, both losses to the Chiefs, albeit the previous ones taking place in Kansas City. Despite playing at home this time, the result remained the same – disappointment for the Bills.
“I’m extremely disappointed,” expressed McDermott following the game. “To come out and not perform the way I’d hoped we would have, it’s extremely disappointing and frustrating. And it’s the type of situation in our business where you’ve got to spend the whole offseason thinking about it.”
With Buffalo now out of the playoffs and the Miami Dolphins eliminated in the wild card round, the AFC East no longer has a representative in the race for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The last time the division secured a championship was in 2018 when the New England Patriots clinched their sixth and most recent title.
As for the upcoming AFC and NFC title games, the Baltimore Ravens will host the Chiefs, and the San Francisco 49ers will host the Detroit Lions.
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