Allen: 'I have no doubt that we'll be back'
The Buffalo Bills' most successful season in recent memory came to an end Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
But Bills quarterback Josh Allen believes his team will come back stronger after coming with touching distance of the Super Bowl.
"It's going to fuel us," said Allen after the 38-24 loss, according to Ryan Talbot of NYup.com. "I have no doubt that we'll be back. ... We're close."
After jumping out to an early 9-0 lead, Buffalo struggled to finish off long drives in the end zone. Head coach Sean McDermott opted for the conservative approach by kicking two red-zone field goals, allowing the high-flying Chiefs to create an insurmountable lead.
Josh Allen noted "settling for field goals when you've got to score touchdowns against these guys" as one of the reasons behind the Bills' loss
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) January 25, 2021
Allen said it was McDermott's decision to opt for three points on those occasions but added that the offense had its chance to punch it in and keep pace.
McDermott, for his part, regrets the decision to play it safe.
"If I had to do it over again, I'd probably go for one of them," McDermott said, according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques.
Allen led his team to a 13-3 record during an MVP-caliber campaign, making a remarkable leap after two inconsistent seasons to begin his NFL career.
But Allen was outplayed by Patrick Mahomes with the AFC title on the line. The Bills signal-caller went 28-for-48 for 287 yards and two touchdowns against one interception, adding 88 yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, Mahomes was close to perfect despite reportedly dealing with turf toe and coming off a limited week of practice due to being in concussion protocol.
The Chiefs star completed 29 of 38 attempts for 325 yards and three scores to book a place in Super Bowl LV against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.