Buffalo Bills: AFC Championship loss doesn’t diminish the future

The Buffalo Bills came up short against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game but, after an incredible season, all arrows are pointing up for the future.

For a franchise and fanbase with the tortured history of the Buffalo Bills, getting so close to returning to the Super Bowl was a tough sight to see. Josh Allen put forth a phenomenal season and, up until the AFC Championship Game, it did appear that they were a team of destiny that was about to shed the baggage of history.

Of course, things didn’t play out that way. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs looked the part of a juggernaut hoping to repeat as champions and the Bills looked the part of a team not yet on that level. But while the loss may sting, fans shouldn’t be lamenting the loss too hard or putting away the tables waiting to be broken.

Instead, the Bills should look at this season as a true victory, one that is both a sign of things to come and something that they can build upon moving forward.

Losing could be the motivation and learning experience the Buffalo Bills need to get over the hump.

We’ve seen over the years that, for a team on the rise to get over the hump, they often have to suffer some type of growing pains before they get to their ultimate goal. The Chiefs themselves experienced that, coming off of Mahomes’ MVP-winning season in 2018 only to lose in the very same AFC Championship Game.

That type of loss for a team that’s still improving can serve as the motivation to work and get better, the work required to win a Super Bowl. And if you don’t think someone like Stefon Diggs isn’t motivated by this, then take a look at how he spent the postgame festivities:

Diggs was watching the Chiefs celebrate. Sure, he may have been giving them their props. But it’s far more likely that he was enviously looking on and preparing himself to work to get to that place with his Bills teammates in the future.

With the progression of Josh Allen, a defensive star in Tre’Davious White locked under contract, Diggs now in tow and the possibility to continue improving the roster, the Bills are in a phenomenal position moving forward. Moreover, Allen and head coach Sean McDermott can learn from what happened in Kansas City.

They went into the game looking to not make mistakes. To win a Super Bowl, you can’t be playing on your heels; you have to be the aggressor, the one controlling the action. The Chiefs showed them as much in the loss on Sunday. But that’s something they can now take to heart.

It’s okay to be disappointed in the loss if you’re a Buffalo Bills fan. But don’t let that cloud the long-term outlook. This team isn’t going anywhere. In fact, they should only get better from here. And that ever-elusive Super Bowl isn’t remotely out of sight at this point.