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At one point, the Buffalo Bills almost seemed like a team of destiny.
Without Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow in the playoffs, quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen seemed to have the best possible path to finally reach the Super Bowl.
But after controversial overtime officiating, the Bills’ season again ended in heartbreak with a 33-30 loss to Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos.
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Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills leaves the field after being defeated by the Denver Broncos in overtime of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Empower Field at Mile High on January 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
This is the sixth consecutive season in which the Bills have been eliminated before reaching the big game, and Josh Allen, who committed four turnovers, wore the loss and his emotions on his sleeve.
“It’s extremely difficult. I feel like I let my teammates down today,” Allen said in his postgame conference, wiping away tears while still wearing his jersey.
Offensive lineman Dion Dawkins has been blocking Allen since the quarterback was drafted in 2018. Already emotional, he couldn’t stand to hear Allen take the blame.
Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills leaves the field after the NFL Divisional Football Playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on January 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
When told that Allen felt he had let his teammates down, Dawkins tearfully turned to his locker, ending his session with the media. But he whispered softly: “We were not disappointed.”
Brandin Cooks, who was part of the controversial interception, also got teary-eyed as he listened to Allen’s reflection on the game.
“No, no. He’s been carrying us all year,” Cooks said. “The way I think about it is that someone [has to] take a step forward to alleviate that from him. When you’re great and you feel like you have to do a lot, you have the opportunity to be able to force some of those things. That’s what I think of Josh. He’s the best quarterback in this league. Everybody around him has to make plays so he doesn’t always have to be the one thinking, ‘Man, I have to win this game.’
“We all feel that way, you know? You work so hard. Personally, I’m very grateful to be able to be a part of this. I look back and think, what could I have done to be able to take some of that pressure off of him?”
Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills congratulates Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos after overtime in the AFC divisional playoff game at Empower Field At Mile High on January 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
The Broncos will face the winner of the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans for a trip to the Super Bowl in Santa Clara.
