Josh Allen is emotional after overtime playoff loss to the Broncos

This was supposed to be the year for Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback who had knocked him out of the playoffs in four of the previous five seasons, wasn’t in the dance. And Joe Burrow, the other bit of kryptonite for the Bills QB, also was watching from his couch. If he was ever going to make it to a Super Bowl, this year’s postseason was the HOV lane for one of the NFL’s best signal callers.

But it wasn’t meant to be. Buffalo’s season came to an end on Saturday in Denver, with the Broncos winning 33-30 in overtime.

After the game, Allen was emotional about the loss. He placed the defeat squarely on his shoulders.

#Bills QB Josh Allen shows up to his postgame press conference with tears in his eyes:

“I let my teammates down tonight. … It’s been a long season. Hate how it ended. t is gonna stick with me for a long time. Can’t win with 5 turnovers.”

(🎥 @WKBW) pic.twitter.com/LQZKyx8R1g

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 18, 2026

It’s tough to see one of the game’s best players get that emotional after a loss. And without a doubt, it wasn’t solely his fault that the Bills lost. But, Allen did make a lot of mistakes in the game.

At the end of the first half, with the Broncos leading 17-10 and only 16 seconds on the clock, Buffalo decided to try to score before intermission. With no timeouts on the clock, the odds were against them; when Allen decided to scramble down the middle of the field, all hope was lost.

Time was going to expire. The Bills were going to the locker room down 17-10. But Allen tried to make a play, fumbled and set the Broncos up for a last-second field goal.

In other words, he gave Denver three free points. Given how things turned out, that was a big moment.

But it didn’t end there.

At the end of regulation, Buffalo was down three points with 16 seconds to play. On third-and-10 from the Broncos 32-yard line, Allen had Dawson Knox wide open for the game-winning touchdown. He missed the throw. Matt Prater kicked a field goal and the game went into overtime.

In the extra period, the Bills quarterback again missed a chance to end the game. On a controversial interception by Ja’Quan McMillian, Allen had Brandin Cooks wide open for a big play. But he under-threw the pass, gave the Broncos cornerback a chance to make a play and the rest is history.

That was the second of the quarterback’s interceptions. He threw one earlier in the game when he once again was late with throw and P.J. Locke intercepted a deep throw.

Allen also had three fumbles in the game, two of which were recovered by the Broncos. It’s a big reason why the Bills lost a game in which they never punted the football.

It was a tough day for Buffalo fans. It was another heartbreaking loss for one of the best quarterbacks in the league. And his postgame emotions said it all.

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