CBS Sports

‘Allen would almost certainly hand back the $1.5 million and tack on any other amount necessary to flip places with Patrick Mahomes and be preparing to play in the Super Bowl Sunday, so winning the MVP likely feels like a phyrric victory at absolute best.’

‘Allen received 383 votes to just beat out Jackson, who received 362 votes in the closest MVP vote since 2003, when Peyton Manning and Steve McNair shared the honor. Allen is the first MVP since Manning in 2008 to not have a single All-Pro teammate, according to CBS Sports Research.’

‘Hyde was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft after winning Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in his final season at Iowa. While he entered the league as a cornerback, Hyde quickly evolved into a nickelback and then safety. After four seasons in Green Bay, Hyde scored a five-year, $30 million deal in Buffalo.’

‘”It’s frustrating,” Beane told reporters on Thursday. “You know, there’s only so much I can say. We work with the league to try to get clarity, and I’ll give them credit, they’ve taken our calls, they’ve sent video and things like that.”‘

‘It’s honorable that Cook isn’t quick to blame the refs for the Bills’ postseason loss. Or maybe he saw all of the fines that Texans players racked up following their divisional-round loss. Championship Sunday was certainly a gut punch for the Bills, who put together an incredible 2024 season — headlined by Allen’s MVP-level play. The Bills now have the most regular-season wins (61) in a five-year span without a Super Bowl appearance.’

‘”Extremely confident,” Allen told reporters when asked during his end-of-season press conference if he believes McDermott is capable of coaching the franchise to the Super Bowl.’

‘Will Funk-Heiser, of Catsonville, Maryland, organized a GoFundMe after Kincaid failed to secure a last-gasp throw from Josh Allen during the Bills’ 32-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs: “We want Ravens Flock to donate … and return the favor Bills Mafia did for us and Mark Andrews,” he wrote.’

‘The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills had an average audience of 57.4 million, according to the Sports Business Journal, making it the most-watched AFC title game in NFL history.’

‘Coleman and Kincaid combined for three catches and 25 yards in the AFC Championship. That can’t happen. And this wasn’t a one-off down performance from those two. Coleman and Kincaid were both injured around the time same, for a similar duration in the middle of the season. After Kincaid’s return, in six outings — including the playoffs — he had 16 receptions for 163 yards and went over 50 yards in a single game once.’

‘That’s four playoff losses for Allen and the Bills to Mahomes and the Chiefs. They’ve all been close losses, but they’re still all losses. Before this season’s epic matchup, the narrative was already built. It’s only going to get louder. And you’re going to hear a lot of people questioning whether Allen can win the big one, and — even worse — plenty of sports shriekers talking about Buffalo needing to move on from McDermott.’

‘Coleman and Kincaid combined for three catches and 25 yards in the AFC Championship. That can’t happen. And this wasn’t a one-off down performance from those two. Coleman and Kincaid were both injured around the time same, for a similar duration in the middle of the season. After Kincaid’s return, in six outings — including the playoffs — he had 16 receptions for 163 yards and went over 50 yards in a single game once.’

‘”To be the champs, you’ve got to beat the champs, and we didn’t do that tonight,” Allen told reporters postgame.’

‘The Bills, of course, did not go quietly. They turned this game into the classic battle of the titans that it nearly always is, as Josh Allen went shot-for-shot with Mahomes for the umpteenth time. Allen went 22 of 34 for 237 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran 11 times for 39 yards. He was repeatedly called on to convert in short yardage, and came through on all but one occasion. (More on that below.) He battled back from multiple deficits (7-0, 21-10 and 29-22) to either give the Bills a lead or tie the game, only to see Mahomes come right back and do the same.’

‘”I thought he had it,” McDermott told the media. “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, just inside that white stripe was the first down and it looked like he got to it. That’s all I can say.”‘

‘”What Kansas City has accomplished, you respect it so much,” Brees said during a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports. “It’s unprecedented. At the same time, you’ve got Josh Allen on on the other side. … I’ll make the Bulls-Pistons comparison. It’s trying to get over the hump, trying to get past kind of the big bully. Kansas City’s only loss (with Mahomes starting) this year was to the Bills. Now that was in Buffalo … but you just feel like, man, Buffalo is right there. It’s their opportunity.”‘