KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Josh Allen took a deep breath before he started his news conference Sunday night.
The moment was familiar.
The Bills quarterback was visibly frustrated as he tried to explain how he felt after Buffalo came up short again.
"It's not fun. But to be the champs, you've got to beat the champs, and we didn't do it tonight," Allen said.
The "champs," otherwise known as the Kansas City Chiefs, have bested the Bills four times in the past five postseasons, the first time in NFL playoff history that one team has eliminated the same opponent four times in a five-season span.
The Bills came back from multiple deficits on Sunday, including an 11-point hole, but ultimately lost in the AFC Championship Game 32-29.
As red and gold confetti littered the way to the visitors locker room and cheers for the Chiefs echoed throughout Arrowhead Stadium, Bills players quietly packed their belongings and processed what had happened on the field. Allen returned from his news conference still in uniform and sat in front of his locker, looking down as he does after the toughest of losses.
"You can either get it done or you can't," Allen said. "And we didn't get it done."
The Bills will have to wait until next season to figure out how to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs and get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 season.
"[The Chiefs are] a good football team. They've won two Super Bowls, been to seven straight AFC Championship Games. That's no excuse," Bills coach Sean McDermott said. "This is a good football team. We've got to keep working to get over that hump, there is no doubt about it. We've won a lot of tough games this year against really good opponents, really good coaches. I'm proud of this football team.
"This is obviously a challenge for us. We'll figure it out."
The Bills' 78 wins over the past six seasons, including the playoffs, are the most by any team in a six-season span without a Super Bowl appearance in NFL history. Allen's seven playoff wins are the most by any quarterback never to make a Super Bowl appearance.
The Bills' final drive fell short as the Chiefs blitzed and pressured Allen on fourth-and-5 with two minutes remaining from Buffalo's 47-yard line. Allen was forced to scramble and heaved the ball toward tight end Dalton Kincaid, who couldn't haul in what would have been a difficult catch.
"It's football. Josh made a hell of an attempt just to get the ball up there, and just sucks a lot, not being able to bring it down," Kincaid said.
Allen finished the game 22-of-34 for 237 yards and two touchdowns and added 39 yards on 11 carries.
That last drive was one of two for the Bills in the second half that ended on fourth down, including a controversial fourth-and-1 play when Allen was ruled short of the first down and replay confirmed call.
"Just short of the line was actually the first down, what it looked like to me when it was sitting next to me with the marker," McDermott said. "Just inside that white stripe was the first down. And it looked like he got to it; that's all I can say."
Allen, who has thrived under pressure this season, completed just 1 of 8 passes for 4 yards when pressured Sunday.
The Chiefs scored a season-high 32 points against a Bills defense that struggled to get off the field in the first half -- allowing touchdowns on three of Kansas City's first four possessions -- and couldn't make enough stops in the second half.
"Didn't do enough, didn't make enough plays to win the game," Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard said. "It's tough, man. It sucks, honestly, just thinking about all the work, all the effort, all the time you put into it, and then to not accomplish your ultimate goal. It sucks. So, we'll take it, learn from it and get better."
Buffalo starting cornerback Christian Benford suffered a concussion late in the first quarter and did not return. McDermott noted that losing Benford, who was in concussion protocol this week and cleared to play, affected the defense. Despite the defensive issues in the first half, the Bills stayed in the game. But it wasn't enough.
"We don't accomplish s---. We don't win a ring," Buffalo cornerback Rasul Douglas said. "None of that s--- going to matter. Everybody got one goal, bro. Only one team handles the goal at the end of every year. All other 31 is just trying to get to that goal."
The Bills surpassed expectations this season thanks to a variety of new faces and leaders who created a unique camaraderie, players in the locker room said. But the goal remained the same.
"If you get this close, you definitely going to try to win it all," safety Damar Hamlin said. "Just thinking about having to prepare for next season, it's just thinking about everything that it took to get to this point feels like a heavy load to lift. So, you want to try to maximize while you're here."