Kansas City – As a season on its own, 2024 was a remarkable success for the Buffalo Bills.

After an off-season in which they purged veterans and ate dead cap money in moves made for the future, many had described Buffalo as being in a “soft rebuild.”

So, to get to the AFC Championship Game, to be leading it on the road after three quarters, to be down three with 3:33 to play and the ball on their own 30-yard line? Well, there’s no shame in that.

But teams don’t play to expectations set for a single season. There’s always a larger story and a broader context. That’s why Sunday night’s 32-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs earned its place high on the list of heartbreaking Buffalo defeats.

These Bills threaded the needle in becoming a team that far exceeded expectations and yet still left behind the taste of bitter disappointment.

For the second year in a row, the Bills suffered a three-point playoff loss to the Chiefs. Last year it was a missed field goal. This year it was a dropped pass.

Same margin of victory, same feeling afterward of believing it could and should have been different.

A field goal on their final drive probably gets them to overtime. A touchdown probably wins the game.

Instead, the Bills managed one first down on a drive that consisted of five pass attempts and a

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