Four years removed from Josh Allen's first AFC championship game appearance, the Buffalo Bills are viewed as one of several NFL teams with the talent and experience to win the Super Bowl.
Bills Chiefs AFC Championship (copy)
Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks at Kansas City Chiefs players celebrate a turnover during the AFC championship game Jan. 26 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
They are further along in their plan to win it all than they were in 2020, when they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-24 in their first trip to the AFC championship game of the Sean McDermott era.
"I would just say that we were not ready to win that game," McDermott said. "That game really wasn’t all that close. And when I look back on it, as I do, watching film on it, we weren’t in a position, we weren’t ready, if that makes sense, to win the AFC championship game that year. We’ve grown since then in a lot of ways."
Under McDermott's leadership, the Bills have won five straight AFC East titles and qualified for the playoffs seven times in his eight seasons as coach. They became the first team in NFL history to win 11 or more games over five straight seasons without reaching the Super Bowl at least once.
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A number of NFL coaches and elite quarterbacks got close but never won it all. The Bills lost four straight Super Bowls, of course, in the 1990s. Others were crowned champions after falling short multiple times. The challenge is as much mental as it is physical, and each person involved must approach the devastation differently.
A former player, a longtime general manager and a Super Bowl-winning coach lent their perspectives to The Buffalo News to explain the challenge the Bills have faced the past five seasons, as well as the one that lies ahead.
The player
Each time Chuck Foreman has watched a Super Bowl since 1976, the frustration and confusion he experienced more than 40 years ago floods back into his consciousness.
The longtime NFL running back is happy for the winner. He understands as well as anyone the sacrifice and dedication it takes for a team to reach the sport’s pinnacle. Three times, he was a player when the Minnesota Vikings reached the biggest game of the season. And all three times, they lost.
The heartbreak and devastation are raw once again as the confetti falls on the champion each February and the losing team walks solemnly off the field.
Chuck Foreman
Running back Chuck Foreman lost three Super Bowls while with the Minnesota Vikings in the 1970s. “You don’t even get talked about. You’re just an afterthought,” he said. “I try to remind myself I played in three Super Bowls and it’s not easy to get there.” Associated Press
“Those games still bother you all these years later,” Foreman, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher in his eight NFL seasons, said in a phone interview. “I can feel the same emotions as the players on the field do after a loss. You wonder, ‘Why did it happen? Why didn’t we play our best?' You get this label that you can’t win it all."
Foreman raised his voice while recalling the game-changing moments in each of those Super Bowl losses.
In the Vikings' 24-7 loss to Miami in Super Bowl VIII, Minnesota abandoned its running game because it fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter. The Dolphins led 17-0 at halftime, and they did not allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter, when the issue was all but decided.
Of those three world championship games, it was the only one in which Foreman thought the Vikings were not the better team.
In Super Bowl IX, Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton threw three interceptions and Minnesota lost two fumbles on the rain-soaked field in New Orleans as the Pittsburgh Steelers held on for a 16-6 win. Now 74 years old and still living in the Minneapolis area, Foreman questions then-coach Bud Grant’s decision to alter the game plan that led the Vikings to a combined record of 22-6 in the 1973-74 regular seasons and consecutive Super Bowls.
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Trailing 9-6 in the fourth quarter in Super Bowl IX, Minnesota had the ball at Pittsburgh’s 5-yard line when the Vikings called a jam play with Foreman and the fullback standing a few inches apart in the backfield. Unable to hit the hole with speed, Foreman fumbled while trying to leap into the end zone, and Steelers defensive tackle Joe Greene recovered.
“I’ve always been a believer that you’ve got to go with the dance that brought you there. We changed our offense to counter whatever we thought they could do and it backfired. That ain’t the time to try to fool somebody."
In Super Bowl XI, following an 11-2-1 finish in the 1976 regular season, Minnesota took over at the Oakland Raiders' 3-yard line late in the first quarter after a blocked punt. Rather than handing the ball off to Foreman, the Vikings coaches told him to be the lead blocker for his backup, Brent McClanahan.
The play call – strong right 22 lead – bothers Foreman to this day.
McClanahan fumbled. Oakland scored on the ensuing drive and won the game, 32-14. Foreman never made it to another Super Bowl, and the Vikings haven’t been back since.
“You have to start all over again and, even though you end up being one of the two best teams in the NFL, it’s almost like you’re nothing because the only people anyone is talking about is the champions,” Foreman said. “You don’t even get talked about. You’re just an afterthought. I try to remind myself I played in three Super Bowls and it’s not easy to get there.”
Minnesota and Buffalo are the only teams to reach four Super Bowls and not win one. The Bills are again a legitimate contender to win it all, led by an MVP quarterback, Josh Allen, and one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
Through playoff shortcomings, a narrative has formed that they can’t get past Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Allen and his teammates were staring down another long, regret-filled offseason as they walked off the field at Arrowhead Stadium in January. Yet they learned through previous losses how to handle the bitterness of defeat.
Everyone in Buffalo's locker room understood that their focus needed to shift immediately to 2025. Another playoff appearance, let alone a trip to the Super Bowl, is not guaranteed.
“We’re all upset at the end of the day, but as soon as we’re off the field, we’re already thinking, ‘All right, how do we get back there next year? How do we take that next step?’” said Bills center Connor McGovern.
The general manager
After Scott Norwood’s field-goal attempt sailed wide right in the final seconds of Super Bowl XXV on Jan. 27, 1991, the Bills' first of four losses in the game, general manager Bill Polian told every player, coach and front-office staffer to hold their head high.
In those moments, Polian never thought about himself. His focus was on everyone else who helped the Bills reach the final game. He mourned each of the three Super Bowl defeats in which he was involved the night of and the night after the loss. Then, Polian reminded himself of the advice he received from Paul Robson, his boss with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the 1984 season.
“(Robson) called it the 'cold light of dawn' test,” Polian, who built the Bills from 1986-92, recalled in a phone interview. “Get up at 4 o’clock in the morning and when the rest of the world is asleep, take a look at that roster and ask yourself, 'Are we able to win a Super Bowl with this group?' … Take the emotion out of it and urge everyone else in the organization to do the same.”
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Bills general manager Brandon Beane, left, speaks with former GM Bill Polian in 2019. Buffalo News file
The Bills' current general manager, Brandon Beane, follows the same process at the end of each season. It’s a painstaking process because he and McDermott build relationships with each player, and often their families. They didn’t want to lose leaders like Tre’Davious White, Mitch Morse or Jordan Poyer, but the salary cap forces NFL teams to make difficult decisions.
Beane and McDermott consider intangibles as much as on-field talent when deciding how to give the Bills the best chance to win it all. They examine the depth chart, discuss which inexperienced players are ready for prominent roles and how to approach the coming months.
This offseason, Buffalo released Von Miller and signed Joey Bosa to try to improve their pass rush. Six draft picks went to the defense to get younger, faster and bigger up front. White became the latest former Bills player to return, and Beane signed veteran receiver Joshua Palmer to help their passing game.
In 2024, Buffalo shifted to a younger core. Six of the team’s captains from the previous season did not return. The Bills still won 13 games, tying a franchise regular-season record, and led in the fourth quarter of the AFC championship game.
“Each year is a new team,” Beane told The Buffalo News. “People naturally think, ‘Oh, the Bills were good last year; I’m not worried about them. They’ll be back in the divisional or AFC championship.’ That’s truly so hard to do in our league because it’s set up for as many teams to regress back to the mean or shoot up. The best thing you’re doing when you’re building that new team each year, it’s truly a chemical experiment. … You have to learn from your mistakes and be honest about them, where you came up short. But you also don’t want to get too emotional about it.”
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In 1989, following a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC championship game, Polian signed guard John Davis, backup running back Kenneth Davis and future Hall of Fame wide receiver James Lofton. Each of the three made an impact in at least three of the Bills’ four trips to the Super Bowl. The Bills lost each one, though, and Polian was dismissed following the 52-17 loss to Dallas in Super Bowl XXVII. Buffalo made it again the following year with his replacement, John Buter, but the franchise has not been back since.
In Buffalo, Polian learned from Marv Levy the importance of resilience and perseverance. Those traits, above all else, separate contenders from champions, he said.
As general manager of the Indianapolis Colts in 2006, Polian faced a difficult decision when his star running back, Edgerrin James, needed a new contract. The team already gave James a franchise tag, so it had to either commit to James or walk away. They made it to the playoffs in six of the previous seven seasons, including a loss in the AFC championship game, and there was pressure to finally win with Peyton Manning at quarterback.
Polian let James leave in free agency, and the Colts drafted his replacement, Joseph Addai. They also selected two future Pro Bowlers on defense, cornerback Tim Jennings and Antoine Bethea. Those two, along with additions in the previous two drafts – most notably safety Bob Sanders – helped Indianapolis finally win it all with a 31-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.
“It’s a long quest,” Polian said. “You can’t count on anything year to year, but if you’re in a position of authority where people look to you for leadership, you can’t wallow around after you lose in the playoffs. You can’t hang your head. You have to provide the right example. Brandon Beane and coach McDermott have done a great job of that. If you keep doing the right things and your process is correct, eventually your time will come.”
Dave Wannstedt’s Miami Dolphins were 5-1 and considered one of the best teams in the NFL when they beat the Denver Broncos, 24-22, on a Sunday night in Week 6 of the 2002 season.
The Dolphins’ defense was one of the best in the league. Ricky Williams, their running back, led the league in rushing. Olindo Mare, their kicker, made a 53-yard field goal with 6 seconds remaining to win the game. Finally, 12 years after winning the Super Bowl as defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, Wannstedt had a team capable of winning it all.
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Former Bills defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt recalled his time in charge of the Miami Dolphins, who started 5-1 in 2002 but lost starting quarterback Jay Fiedler and dropped six of their final 10 games. Buffalo News file photo
Then, as he walked out of the shower late that mid-October night, Wannstedt received another harsh reminder of how fragile a team can be and the luck that you need. A trainer told him that his quarterback, Jay Fiedler, broke a bone in his thumb. Miami lost three games in a row and six of their last 10 to miss the playoffs.
“To win it all, you have to have some things fall your way,” said Wannstedt, the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys team that walloped Buffalo in Super Bowl XXVII. “With that first year we went to the Super Bowl in Dallas, we lined up in the game with 10 of the 11 starters that we had the first game of the season. Troy Aikman was healthy. Michael Irvin was healthy. Emmitt Smith was healthy. It’s so close that you’ve got to have guys step up and play at the highest level they can at the biggest moments of the season.”
In the Bills’ last three playoff losses to Kansas City, their average margin of defeat was four points.
"Thirteen seconds" is one of several devastating moments in the history of Buffalo sports. In 2023, Tyler Bass’ missed field goal allowed the Chiefs to kill the rest of the clock in a 27-24 loss in the divisional round. Last January, Allen appeared to convert a fourth down with a quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter while the Bills were ahead 22-21 with 13:01 remaining, but officials ruled he was short of the line to gain.
Five plays later, Mahomes scrambled for a 10-yard touchdown run. Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid dropped Allen’s desperation heave on fourth down, and Kansas City held on to win. McDermott has studied each of his seven playoff losses to determine if there is a through line. There were different problems in each of the losses, but he didn’t want to disclose details when questioned recently by reporters.
His message to the Bills’ players is as important as learning from those losses. He doesn’t talk to them about winning the Super Bowl. Instead, he reminds them that their standard must be playoff-caliber. McDermott also refuses to discuss their championship aspirations with reporters. It’s unfair to players, he said. Every year, he pushes an urgency that no one can be complacent. Their past accomplishments will not matter once a new season begins. It's a message he'll continue to repeat.
“The problem with Buffalo is when you get to that point, everybody wants to treat it like the NBA and how quick can we get to the playoffs?” Wannstedt said. “That, to me, is the biggest challenge right now for Sean McDermott, his assistant coaches and the leaders of that team. You have to keep everyone focused.”
Other teams that got close and won it all (or didn't):
Minnesota Vikings
Lost in Super Bowl four times (1969, ’73, ’74, ’76)
Season W-L Result, score
1969 12-2 Lost in Super Bowl to Kansas City, 23-7
1973 12-2 Lost in Super Bowl to Miami, 24-7
1974 10-4 Lost in Super Bowl to Pittsburgh, 16-6
1975 12-2 Lost in divisional round to Dallas, 17-4
1976 11-2-1 Lost in Super Bowl to Oakland, 32-14
1977 9-5 Lost in NFC championship game to Dallas, 23-6
- Have lost three NFC championship games since 1977.
Buffalo Bills
Lost in Super Bowl four times (1990-93)
Season W-L Result, score
1988 12-4 Lost in AFC championship game to Cincinnati, 21-10
1989 9-7 Lost in divisional round to Cleveland, 34-30
1990 13-3 Lost in Super Bowl to New York Giants, 20-19
1991 13-3 Lost in Super Bowl to Washington, 37-24
1992 11-5 Lost in Super Bowl to Dallas, 52-17
1993 12-4 Lost in Super Bowl to Dallas, 30-13
- Missed playoffs in 1994, then qualified in ’95, ’96, ’98 and ’99 before 17-year playoff drought.
Bills under Sean McDermott
Season W-L Result, score
2017 9-7 Lost in wild card to Jacksonville, 10-3
2018 6-10 Missed playoffs
2019 10-6 Lost in wild card to Houston, 22-19
2020 13-3 Lost in AFC championship game to Kansas City, 38-24
2021 11-6 Lost in divisional round to Kansas City, 43-36, OT
2022 13-3 Lost in divisional round to Cincinnati, 27-10
2023 11-6 Lost in divisional round to Kansas City, 27-24
2024 13-4 Lost in AFC championship game to Kansas City, 32-29
Miami Dolphins
Lost in Super Bowl once during Dan Marino’s career (1983-99)
Season W-L Result, score
1983 12-4 Lost in divisional round to Seattle, 27-20
1984 14-2 Lost in Super Bowl to San Francisco, 38-16
1985 12-4 Lost in AFC championship game to New England, 31-14
1990 12-4 Lost in divisional round to Buffalo, 44-34
1992 11-5 Lost in AFC championship game to Buffalo, 29-10
1994 10-6 Lost in divisional round to Chargers, 22-21
- Missed playoffs seven times in Marino’s 17 seasons.
Denver Broncos
Won the Super Bowl twice during John Elway’s career (1983-98)
Season W-L Result, score
1983 9-7 Lost in wild card to Seattle, 31-7
1984 13-3 Lost in divisional round to Pittsburgh, 24-17
1986 11-5 Lost in Super Bowl to New York Giants, 39-20
1987 10-4-1 Lost in Super Bowl to Washington, 42-10
1989 11-5 Lost in Super Bowl to San Francisco, 55-10
1991 12-4 Lost in AFC championship game to Buffalo, 10-7
1993 9-7 Lost in wild card to Raiders, 42-24
1996 13-3 Lost in divisional round to Jacksonville, 30-27
1997 12-4 Beat Green Bay in Super Bowl, 31-24
1998 14-2 Beat Atlanta in Super Bowl, 34-19
- Missed playoffs six times in Elway’s 16 seasons.
Indianapolis Colts
Won one Super Bowl during Peyton Manning’s time with the franchise (1998-2013)
Season W-L Result, score
1999 13-3 Lost in divisional round to Tennessee, 19-16
2000 10-6 Lost in wild card to Miami, 23-17
2002 10-6 Lost in wild card to New York Jets, 41-0
2003 12-4 Lost in AFC championship game to New England, 24-14
2004 12-4 Lost in divisional round to New England, 20-3
2005 14-2 Lost in divisional round to Pittsburgh, 21-18
2006 12-4 Beat Chicago in Super Bowl, 29-17
2009 14-2 Lost to New Orleans in Super Bowl, 31-17
• Seattle Seahawks lost to Pittsburgh in XL, 21-20, and lost in the divisional round four times before defeating the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, 43-8.
• Philadelphia Eagles lost three straight NFC championship games and Super Bowl XXXIX to New England, 24-21, with Andy Reid as coach, before the franchise finally won Super Bowls LII (beating Patriots 41-33) and LIX (beating Chiefs 40-22) under Doug Pederson and Nick Sirianni, respectively.
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