‘Totally on me’: Bass foots blame after Bills’ loss

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The kick initially looked like it was headed through the uprights. Then, it sharply changed direction with the 11-13 mph winds in Orchard Park helping it sail up and to the right, away from the upright.

The missed 44-yard field goal by Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass gave the Kansas City Chiefs the ball at their own 34-yard line with a three-point lead and 1:43 left on the clock in Sunday’s AFC divisional playoff game.

“Ultimately, it’s completely on me. I’ve got to do a better job of getting through to my target,” Bass said after the Bills’ 27-24 loss. “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. You know, I was trusting my line that I had in warmups. Hit a good ball, but it didn’t work out. 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.”

Bass finished the regular season and postseason with his lowest field goal percentage in his four-year career (76.5%). Coach Sean McDermott said after the game that they have “full confidence” in Bass. The coach also pointed to the Bills’ defense and special teams not playing the “way we needed to.”

The field goal attempt will be just another what-if moment for the Bills in a game full of opportunities that ended with more of the same. For the third straight year, the Bills’ season ended in the divisional round, and it extended the team’s postseason record vs. Patrick Mahomes to 0-3. Another postseason, another loss to Kansas City.

“I wish [Bass] wouldn’t have been put in that situation,” quarterback Josh Allen said. “You win as a team, you lose as a team. 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.”

Two Allen incompletions from the Kansas City 26-yard line preceded Bass’ attempt, wrapping up a 16-play, 54-yard drive that yielded no points. That included a second-and-9 play in which wide receiver Stefon Diggs was open as he ran across the middle of the field, but Allen targeted Khalil Shakir deep as he was pressured by defensive tackle Chris Jones. As well as a drop by Diggs on a long pass downfield on the first play of the drive.

The what-ifs for Buffalo also extend to how and when it was time to take those shots downfield, after the Bills used the short