Thirty-two years and 359 days after Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard field goal – wide right – that would have lifted the Buffalo Bills to their first ever Super Bowl, Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game against Kansas City in Sunday’s AFC Division Round playoff game. Pictured: Bills place kicker Tyler Bass. Photo Credit: Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle/USA Today Network.
Thirty-two years and 359 days after Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard field goal – wide right – that would have lifted the Buffalo Bills to their first ever Super Bowl, Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter that would have tied the game against Kansas City in Sunday’s AFC Division Round playoff game.
“Ultimately, it’s completely on me,” said Bass after the loss. “I’ve got to do a better job of getting through to my target. I’ve got to do a better job of playing it a little bit more left when you have a left-to-right [wind]. I’ve been here long enough to know that you have to do that.”
Bass continued: “I feel terrible, you know? I love this team and it hurts. This one hurts bad. Yeah, I’ve got to do a better job. Totally on me.”
Kansas City went on to win the game 27-24.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen says he wishes so much wasn’t being placed on Bass’s shoulders.
“You win as a team; you lose as a team,” said Bass. “One play doesn’t define a game. It doesn’t define a season. I know people are going to be out there saying that. We got to be there for him because again, we execute a couple of plays prior, probably singing a different tune right now.”
Indeed, both Buffalo’s offense and defense sputtered at times in Sunday’s loss, but most will remember the most dreaded two words in Bills history – ‘wide right.’
“I’m extremely disappointed,” said Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott. “I mean, you put so much time into this. We put so much time into a season, let alone this game, and the preparation for it, and to come out and to not perform the way I’d hoped we would’ve, it’s extremely disappointing and frustrating and it’s a type of situation in our business where you got to spend the whole offseason thinking about it, but it…drives you harder to come back next season and continue to work at it.”
Third-ranked Kansas City will now meet top-seeded Baltimore in next Sunday’s AFC Championship game, while it’s one against three in the NFC too, as No. 1 San Francisco hosts third-seeded Detroit.
While most Bills fans are still reeling from their latest playoff loss, some are looking ahead to their 2024-25 season, which is poised to include another visit by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce (and maybe even Taylor Swift) to Highmark Stadium.
In fact, Buffalo will play all four of the NFL’s final four opponents from this campaign next season.
Next season, the Bills will play games in Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles (Rams), Miami, New England, New York (Jets), Seattle, Baltimore and Detroit. The Bills will host Miami, New York (Jets), New England, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Arizona, San Francisco and Kansas City.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
