KANSAS CITY, Mo. — What could be worse than living through a nightmare?

A sequel to that nightmare.

The Buffalo Bills find themselves trapped in this reality once more. Despite being one of the NFL’s most successful teams consistently, they face recurring heartbreak every playoff season.

This disappointment struck again on Sunday during the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Bills were tantalizingly close to securing their first Super Bowl appearance in 31 years but fell short, losing 32-29 to their relentless rivals.

Forget about horror icons like Freddy or Jason. The Bills are haunted by the Kansas City Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.

This has turned into their horror story: for the fourth time in five years, the Bills have seen their season end at the hands of the Chiefs, who are now heading to their third Super Bowl in a row.

“In order to be the champions, you’ve got to defeat the champions,” said Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

That’s certainly true.

“And we just didn’t do it,” Allen added.

Allen, who has developed into one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, might be left pondering what it would take to win a playoff game against Mahomes.

Mahomes is to the NFL what Michael Jordan was to basketball. This places Allen in a position similar to that of Karl Malone or John Stockton—top basketball players who never clinched a championship title due to Jordan’s dominance.

This time, the painful moments for the Bills included Allen being halted (to some extent) on a disputed fourth-and-one sneak, and Mahomes charging into the endzone when passing wasn’t sufficient. However, the most glaring image may well be tight end Dalton Kincaid’s missed catch on Allen’s fourth-down throw late in the game.

That play turned out to be Buffalo’s last offensive chance with just under two minutes remaining. If Kincaid had successfully caught the ball, the Bills would have gained a first down and been in position for a field goal. The throw was about 30 yards, but it slipped through the normally reliable Kincaid’s hands. Allen had to release it a fraction of a second earlier than he would’ve preferred due to Trent McDuffie’s corner blitz and the advancing George Karlaftis, who hit Allen as he threw.

That’s the nature of nightmares: bad things occur.

“The fact that he managed to get the ball off is amazing,” Kincaid shared with YSL News Sports. “He placed it perfectly for me to make the catch, and I just couldn’t come through. It stings a lot.”

The Bills did many things right that could have potentially prevented an eighth straight playoff defeat on the road. They avoided committing any turnovers for the fifth game in a row. They played boldly, successfully converting four out of six fourth-down attempts in the second half. They were persistent, making big plays as they battled back from an 11-point deficit in the first half to seize leads in the second half.

But still, it wasn’t enough.

Even when it seemed the Bills had the upper hand, things turned sour. Allen’s fourth-down sneak was the subject of debate, as the pileup made it hard to conclusively determine whether the officials had spotted the ball correctly. This was vital on a fourth-and-one from the Chiefs’ 41-yard line while Buffalo held a narrow 22-21 lead.

Bills coach Sean McDermott claimed that from where he stood, it appeared the quarterback secured the first down before getting pushed back. However, a replay review maintained the original call. Kansas City then took control on a short field and quickly scored a go-ahead touchdown.

The final result made the ruling even more frustrating for the Bills.

“Absolutely, it does,” McDermott responded when asked if the ruling amplified the frustration. “That’s a crucial possession. We were up one point at that point, with a chance to increase our advantage significantly. It’s a major decision. A major decision.”

The rivalry—if not the horror elements—will continue. Buffalo has won five consecutive AFC East titles and demonstrated it can win against Kansas City in some scenarios, remaining undefeated (4-0) against the Chiefs in regular-season matchups featuring both Mahomes and Allen.

Yet in the playoffs, the same plotline recurs, with the same ending.

And the same heartbreak.

“So, what’s next?” asked Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins, echoing the question. “We go home, hug our families, and prepare for training.”

They might also want to consider discarding the script for facing the Chiefs in playoff games.

Follow Jarrett Bell on X, @JarrettBell