Josh Allen thought he was ready to put the Bills’ playoff nightmares behind him.
With 3:33 remaining and the Bills set to get the ball back while trailing by three in the AFC Championship game, Allen was caught on camera talking to himself and appearing to say, “Yeah, I’m ready.”
The moment looked primed to be an online meme for years to come, looking eerily similar to the Cam Newton meme that showcased him nodding just before going for a game-winning drive against the Giants in 2015.
Allen had plenty of opportunities to snag a victory, but the final Buffalo drive ended with a disastrous Dalton Kincaid drop on fourth-and-5 that would have put them into field goal range in the 32-29 loss.
Allen had to react fast on the play due to a surprise blitz package dialed up by Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnulo, facing immediate pressure that led to him scrambling 15 yards backwards.
The MVP candidate then heaved one up to Dalton Kincaid, who dove but couldn’t bring it down.
That play marked the last time Allen touched the ball.
The drive concluded at the two-minute warning, giving the Bills’ defense a chance to stand up to Patrick Mahomes, but they couldn’t get the job done.
On second-and-9, Isiah Pacheco caught a pass and scampered for 10 yards, although he went out of bounds, giving Buffalo one last gasp thanks to having two timeouts left.
On third-and-9, Mahomes threw a pass to Samaje Perine for 17 yards to ice the game and send Buffalo home with broken hearts once again.
After the game, Allen said he felt good and relaxed when getting the ball back down three, but they needed to execute better.
“To be the champs, you have to beat the champs, and we didn’t beat them,” Allen said.
He was also asked about the Chiefs’ blitz on the throw to Kincaid, which he admits that he did not see coming on what proved to be their final offensive play of their season.
“They gave a good look. I didn’t see anything on my first cadence, I was sliding left. Corner came, and yeah,” Allen said.
Allen, who could potentially win his first MVP this season, ended the game with 237 passing yards and two touchdowns while also taking 11 carries for 39 yards.
