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Yes, the Buffalo Bills lost a heartbreaker in a hard-fought battle Sunday in the AFC championship game. Despite the obstacles and the nerves, Josh Allen completed 22 of 34 attempts for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

There were great moments in the AFC championship game in which Josh Allen demonstrated Herculean toughness and grit, having to overcome the noise and questionable officiating. Allen鈥檚 early jitters, combined with a stout Chiefs pass rush, made him uncomfortable. To their credit, the Bills fought and scrapped for the full 60 minutes, only to fall short on a corner blitz and a busted pass protection.

The review of this game revealed the character Allen and his teammates possess. They demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity. In the most difficult moments, they made plays that just weren鈥檛 enough to make up for some of the elements that were out of their control.

FIRST QUARTER

Play selection: 14 plays (seven passes, seven runs)

Allen: 5 for 8 passing, 53 yards; three carries for 6 yards.

Performance grade: 78%

Score: Chiefs, 7-3.

Allen got off to a shaky start, as he missed opportunities that he generally made good on this season. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady began with a quarterback run to settle the natural nervousness that occurs on a stage that large.

Here is a look at the second play of the game.

Drive-starter: A missed opportunity by Josh Allen

On second-and-6, Brady called another version of the same drive-starting play that the Bills have had success with, only disguised with a different formation. Here, the Bills pulled O鈥機yrus Torrence to make it look like a run with Reggie Gilliam leading the way to the left.

The Bills actually wanted to pull the linebackers to that side and throw either to Dawson Knox or Mack Hollins across the field to Allen鈥檚 right. The defense was waiting for it as Allen misfired. Allen progressed from Knox to Hollins and should have come back to Cook on his third part of the progression who had a blocker on the swing concept.

The combination of the pressure to his right side and his surprise at how linebackers Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill matched with his receivers caused a high throw that was nearly picked off.

Time and again this season, in this situation, we have seen Allen check the ball down. On this play, he ripped it into a very small window rather than playing it safe with the football.

Allen misfired on the next play and was nearly picked off again.

Here, with the powerful bull-rush Chris Jones is known for, Allen could have easily dumped the ball immediately to Curtis Samuel. This would have achieved a first down, but Allen intended to try to drive the ball down the middle, and that took too long. The protection broke down; in the chaos, Allen scrambled and nearly threw a second interception. This was not the quarterback profile that Allen has established this year to start this game.

The result was a Bills punt, and the Chiefs scored touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead.

To begin the next Bills鈥� drive, Mack Hollins was flagged on the first play in which James Cook had a positive run.

According to the NFL rulebook: 鈥淧layers who are not on the line of scrimmage must be at least 1 yard behind the players on the line.鈥� Hollins checked with the official and was off the line of scrimmage 1 yard. This photo demonstrated that Hollins was correctly aligned. This created chaos for Alec Anderson, because it was not initially clear that the penalty was not called on him. This was a subjective call by the official, with whom Hollins checked and confirmed. It resulted in a first-and-15 rather than a Bills鈥� second-and-6.

A few plays later, on second-and-5, Allen dropped a snap and fell on it to turn the situation into a third-and-9.

Tyler Bass nailed a 53-yard field goal to close the gap, 7-3.

Patrick Mahomes fumbled a zone-read on Kansas City's next possession, which nullified a strong drive and gave the football back to the Bills with less than one minute remaining in the quarter.

Allen鈥檚 performance in the quarter was not at the level of execution he attained this year. He completed 5 of 8 passes for 53 yards but dropped a snap and missed a couple of reads which measured to a performance grade of 78%.

This was in large part because of the Kansas City defense, pocket pressure and Allen pressing for bigger plays, rather than the smaller, chipping-away style he has come to embrace.

SECOND QUARTER

Play selection: 18 plays (13 passes, five runs)

Allen: 8 for 12 passing, 97 yards, 1 touchdown; 0 carries for 0 yards.

Performance grade: 89%

Score: Chiefs, 21-16.

Allen and the Bills offense drove the ball 72 yards on 10 plays for a go-ahead touchdown.

On a first-and-10, the fourth play of this drive, Allen saw a penalty and was trying for more.

Here, Hollins was held by Bolton, who was trying not to allow Hollins across the field. This was called by the officials as defensive holding.

It is amazing to think that Allen actually saw this, knew it was flagged and, in real time, directed Coleman to adjust, as we see in the picture. However, had Allen stayed on task and on time, the ball would have been completed to Khalil Shakir for a gain of 5 yards or more.

Instead, Allen passed up the sure completion to either side to go bigger. The result of the play was a near-interception, which wouldn鈥檛 have counted. Although the strategy makes sense 鈥� it's a free shot on a free play 鈥� it shouldn't have happened if Allen had been in sync with his progressions. This game truly was a game of inches.

Six plays later, following a near-disaster in which Allen was stripped and recovered his own fumble, this outstanding third-and-13 strike put the Bills in position to take the lead.

Third-and-13: Josh Allen's bullet to Khalil Shakir

Allen and the Bills were 5 of 14 (35.7%) on third-down conversions, and this was a big one. The Chiefs played Cover-2, and Allen rifled the ball to Shakir as he read and adjusted to the middle of the field, finding a weak spot in a 2-deep zone. Allen鈥檚 velocity on the throw made this play possible.

The Bills used a hurry-up tempo on the next play to prevent the Chiefs from substituting, which helped Cook as he ran it in for the go-ahead touchdown.

This lifted the Bills into a 10-7 lead. The Chiefs answered with a touchdown to retake the lead, 14-10. They did so by converting a fourth-and-1 from their own 39-yard line.

On the drive, Kaiir Elam was flagged for a 15-yard face-mask penalty which added to the Chiefs鈥� offensive momentum.

This call was the third penalty on the Bills to this point, and as the picture clearly shows, the receiver, Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, actually grabbed Elam鈥檚 face mask.

The Chiefs scored on the next play on first-and-10 from the Bills' 11-yard line.聽

On the next Bills series, Allen threw three straight incompletions. First, an intended throw to Knox was well defended and knocked away, but a failure to report as an eligible player was flagged on Anderson on the play. The Chiefs declined the penalty and gave the Bills this second-and-10.

Second-and-10: A missed opportunity for Josh Allen

Here, on second-and-10, Curtis Samuel came clean open on a drag route underneath tight end Dawson Knox. The Chiefs busted the coverage, but Allen missed the throw. This was just how it went for the Bills in this game as they made things harder for themselves when they had opportunities.

Allen makes this throw 99 out of 100 times. This wasn鈥檛 great defense; it was poor offensive execution. Had Allen connected with Samuel, this would have been a huge play. Instead, this made it a third-and-10. Allen again threw the ball down the field to Coleman as he had Kincaid crossing in front of him.

This three-and-out was significant 鈥� not only because it allowed the Chiefs an opportunity to make it a two-score game, but because it added to the feeling that the Chiefs were stopping Allen and exacerbated the pressure on the offense.

The Chiefs were disrupting Allen with the pass rush, but the subsequent lack of execution came from the pressure that Allen had to do more than he has done all year to win this game.

A 44-yard punt return by Nikko Remigio put the Chiefs in immediate scoring position on the Bills' 33-yard line.

Here is a picture of the block in the back by Peyton Hendershot that sprung the return.

Just a few plays later, Mahomes threw what appeared to be an interception by Cole Bishop, which then appeared to be incomplete because it hit the ground without either Bishop or Xavier Worthy having possession.

A legal catch is defined as securing the football prior to the ball hitting the ground. In this case, it initially looked like Bishop caught it. Then it was pinned between both players. Then the ball hit the ground. By rule, a catch that simultaneously occurs belongs to the offense. It is unclear who had possession of the ball here when it hit the ground, if in fact this was even a catch.

This, too, added to the Chiefs鈥� momentum. They scored a few plays later, and following the play, Travis Kelce was clearly taunting Damar Hamlin, who had tackled Mahomes as he crossed the goal line.

This unsportsmanlike act was not penalized 鈥� but the Bills鈥� retaliation was, as Jordan Phillips jumped into Kelce鈥檚 space. Kelce took a backward dive and drew another 15-yard penalty.

This chain of events was answered by Allen with this remarkable touchdown pass with :27 remaining in the half from the Chiefs鈥� 34-yard line.

Josh Allen's TD pass to Mack Hollins before halftime

Allen saw Hollins in man-to-man coverage with Trent McDuffie down the field and threw a perfect pass over the top. This was a much-needed play before halftime, as the Chiefs were to get the opening kickoff of the second half.

The Chiefs were offside on the extra point, which was good. That would've made the score 21-17 Chiefs 鈥� but the penalty gave the Bills an opportunity to go for a two-point conversion.

This was the point when Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who felt the Bills needed a boost, went for two. The tush-push failed.

Here, Allen did not surge forward, as his first movement was lateral. He tried to find a hole on the left side, and when he did attempt to go forward, it was too late; the pile and the Chiefs鈥� surge had nullified his initial advantage.

In my opinion, this decision to go for two changed the game in favor of the Chiefs. The Bills, coming off a great play, hurt their own momentum by not getting seven points. Yes, had they converted and cut the Chiefs' lead to 21-18, the Bills would have been in position to tie with a field goal.

By not just taking the seven points, the Bills were chasing that lost point in the second half.

Allen鈥檚 first half was a mixed bag of some great plays and some missed plays. He completed 13 of 20 attempts for 150 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

The Chiefs successfully made him uncomfortable, which resulted in a lack of efficiency.

THIRD QUARTER

Play selection: 16 plays (one pass, 15 runs)

Allen: 1 for 1 passing, 7 yards, 0 TDs; 5 carries for 18 yards

Performance grade: 100%

Score: Bills, 22-21.

The Bills鈥� defense forced a punt by the Chiefs on their second-half opening drive. During the drive, on a first-and-10 play, Kelce again should have been penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for pushing Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard after the whistle. The official did not throw the flag.

The Chiefs punted and gave the Bills a chance to take the lead.

Brady called eight straight running plays, utilizing Cook, Ty Johnson and Allen to impose their will on Kansas City. This was a change in strategy as the Bills concentrated on ball control and power-running football.

On 16 total plays, Brady called all runs. Allen had one completion to Knox on an RPO (run-pass option) in which Allen elected to throw.

Josh Allen's only third-quarter pass: RPO to Dawson Knox

Here, Allen saw that with two blockers in front of Knox, he had a chance to get to the outside and potentially score. This was an excellent call by Brady, giving Allen the option, as well as a superb read and throw.

A couple plays later, on third-and-goal, Allen slipped and was not able to cross the goal line on another quarterback sneak. Cook, on the next play, with an incredible effort, extended himself across the goal line to give the Bills a 22-21 lead.

McDermott, trying to extend the lead to three points, went for two again.

The overall problem with this strategy of reaching for more takes us back to Buffalo's previous two-point attempt. Had the Bills simply kicked the extra point at the end of the second quarter, the score would have been 21-17 Chiefs, and now this touchdown would have made it 24-21 with an extra point.

Chasing this mistake caused two failed two-point conversions, and the Bills lost their touchdown momentum.

Bills' second failed two-point conversion attempt

The Chiefs punted on their next possession, and Allen and the offense had another opportunity to extend their lead into the fourth quarter.

Through the running game, Allen regained his efficiency and the offense captured momentum.

As the third quarter was ending, Allen and the Bills offense failed on a third-and-short tush-push.

As you can see in this picture, the Chiefs were in an illegal alignment 鈥� and again, officials did not flag it.

Jones was offside. He then plunged into the legs of Allen, slowing down the quarterback.

FOURTH QUARTER

Play selection: 20 plays (13 passes, seven runs)

Allen: 8 for 13 passing, 100 yards, TD; four carries for 15 yards

Performance grade: 90%

Score: Chiefs, 32-29

The very first play of the fourth quarter was a fourth-and-1. Allen launched himself over the pile and picked up the first down, and the Bills offense went back to work.

Three plays later, the Bills were in another fourth-and-1, thanks to a questionable third-down spot. Kincaid appeared to be over the line to gain, but officials marked him short.

By all accounts, this favorable spot for the Chiefs was more egregious than the next play, which resulted in a turnover on downs. These two spots tilted the outcome in favor of the Chiefs.

On this next play, fourth-and-inches, Allen and the Bills were forced into another quarterback-sneak situation. Allen plunged forward and appeared to be past the line to gain, but again, officials marked him short.

Josh Allen sneak on fourth down

Below are snapshots of the moments before and after Allen surged beyond the line for a first down.

Analyzing a play like this is relatively simple. The myriad camera angles demonstrated that Allen had in fact crossed the threshold.

It appeared that the officials were not in agreement, as the official from one side spotted across the line and the other side did not. The call on the field then marked Allen short. Because there were so many bodies burying Allen, the review did not overturn what was clearly a surge beyond the line to gain.

Two back-to-back spots in which Bills players had achieved the line to gain were ruled otherwise.

With these moment-by-moment pictures, it is difficult to defend the NFL from the unsavory scrutiny and controversy this deserves.

This turn of events led to a Chiefs touchdown and two-point conversion, which put Kansas City ahead by seven points, 29-22.

Allen led another steady nine-play drive down the field for the tying touchdown. On fourth-and-goal, he delivered this strike to Samuel.

Josh Allen's fourth-and-goal touchdown to Curtis Samuel ties the score

Here, Brady used a wild Shakir motion to affect the 鈥渕atching鈥� principles of the Chiefs. No defenders ran across the field with Shakir, which indicated to Allen that the defense was not in man-to-man. Shakir went from the No. 2 receiver to Allen鈥檚 right to the inside receiver to Allen鈥檚 left, then looped and went back to the left.

All of this was difficult on the Chiefs to manage, and it allowed Samuel to cross the field behind the defense as they were looking at Shakir. This was a clutch read and throw by Allen in a 鈥済ame on the line鈥� moment.

The Bills had tied the score, 29-29.

The Chiefs, of course, went on to kick a field goal to take the lead, 32-29, as the Bills鈥� defense held firm and prevented a touchdown.

This set up Allen and the offense with 3:33 remaining and all of their timeouts.

It took six plays to get into this fourth-and-5 situation, again, with the game on the line.

The final play: Steve Spagnuolo's blitz, an incomplete pass from Josh Allen to Dalton Kincaid

Here, Brady went to a four-receiver set to Allen鈥檚 left and a tight split to his right.

Whenever a quarterback has a five-man pass protection, an array of blitzes can cause a 鈥渉ot鈥� situation, in which there isn鈥檛 a blocker to account for the sixth rusher.

Credit the Chiefs, who brilliantly disguised this five-man pressure and fooled the Buffalo pass protection. The Chiefs鈥� pre-snap posture had six players on the line of scrimmage. Post-snap, they rushed only four of those defenders, plus the cornerback, Trent McDuffie.

Cornerbacks are not accounted for in protection, and they are handled as a sight adjustment for the quarterback to make an immediate throw to an outside receiver in the area that the blitz comes from.

This did not happen, as Johnson did not recognize the blitzing posture and may not have known to adjust. Perhaps there weren鈥檛 any sight adjustments in this concept. The ultimate play design was to keep Allen鈥檚 eyes on the right side of the field with a low-to-high read. Amari Cooper was to run underneath Johnson, who set the rub, and Kincaid was to cross the field over the top to the right.

Allen had no chance on the play, and it was miraculous that he had the awareness and arm strength to give Kincaid a chance to catch the ball. The quarterback did this while he was being swallowed by two unblocked defenders.

With all the crossing routes, the Chiefs must have figured that if they brought the corner, it would at least disrupt Allen鈥檚 normal progression, which it did.

But this was a "careful" blitz that also dropped six men into coverage. They did not bet the farm but tried to throw a wrench into normal quarterback processing with a cornerback blitz.

The fact that Johnson was the wide receiver to the blitzing side complicated things because running backs, who are not wide receivers by trade, are not well-versed in 鈥渟ight-adjust鈥� protocols.

Perhaps in retrospect, Brady should have elected to go with four receivers and Kincaid at tight end.

Torrence, the right guard, was confused on the protection and blocked down when he should have blocked out. This was the real reason Allen was under such immediate pressure.

I believe that had Allen had 0.2 seconds longer, this would have been a huge completion 鈥� but the immediacy of the pressure was simply too much. The Chiefs were beaten as Kincaid was open, but Allen didn鈥檛 have the time to get the ball to him.

CONCLUSION

Allen didn鈥檛 play his best football game, and neither did the Bills鈥� offense. The Chiefs overpowered the Bills鈥� offensive line at times while Allen felt the pressure of needing to do more.

There were also numerous times in which Chiefs players appeared to benefit from officiating calls and no-calls.

The offensive game plan by Brady was solid 鈥� but early in the game, Allen didn鈥檛 take what the defense gave him. He pressed. He reached. He tried to make plays rather than reading and reacting and taking the completions that were available to him.

Admiringly, Allen has transformed himself into an MVP-level player, and in doing so, he changed the way he plays the game.

This is an incredible feat for any player, and it was this aspect of Sunday's AFC championship game that was so heartbreaking. Allen鈥檚 early inconsistencies were because of the high stakes of this game, and he tried to do too much.

To his great credit, and to Brady鈥檚 credit, they settled back in and got back to the principles that got Buffalo this far.

The perspective from a game like this is to take a look back at how far this Bills team has come.

Remember, there were substantial roster changes that most everyone predicted would make the franchise take a step backward. Pundits predicted the New York Jets or the Miami Dolphins, who were supposedly more talented, to dominate the Bills and win the AFC East. They were so wrong about these brilliant personnel moves.

These Bills put their heads down and proved to themselves, and to the world, that they are capable of greatness.

This was a chapter in franchise history that hurts deeply for the team and for Bills Mafia 鈥� because of the promise of this group, because of their heart, and because of their growth.

Experience is valuable to a player like Allen and the coaches and players that surround him. They have much to be proud of in this journey toward the top, as well as hard-earned lessons will bode well for their future opportunities.

The evidence tells me that Allen and the Bills franchise will one day bring the Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo. Returning and developing this team, with these coaches, is the very best beginning to that end.

Overall QB performance grade: 89%

Passing: 22 of 34 (65%), 237 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing: 11 rushes, 39 yards, 1 fumble