Bills fans face heartbreak as road to the Super Bowl once again runs through Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
For the sixth time in seven years, the road to the Super Bowl runs through Kansas City. After waiting 30 years since their last Super Bowl appearance, Bills fans felt this was finally their year. But for the fourth time since 2020, their championship hopes were dashed by the Kansas City Chiefs.
On Sunday, Chris Kreger returned to Arrowhead Stadium, revisiting the scene of heartbreak from the 2020 AFC Championship Game. Proudly wearing a No. 14 Stefon Diggs jersey, Kreger recalled a moment that cemented his admiration for the former Bills receiver.
“All the other Bills were in the locker room, but Diggs stayed to watch the Chiefs celebrate as the confetti fell. A coach eventually came to comfort him. He was so sad, and I was so sad in that moment,” Kreger said. “Today, I’m wearing this jersey in honor of him and all the past players who couldn’t see us win. This victory is for them!”
Nearby, Paige Timby and a group of rowdy Bills fans carried on the tradition of jumping through folding tables, a staple of the Bills Mafia.
“Look around—this is Bill's Country!” Timby proclaimed.
Another fan, Nika James, held up a handmade sign reading, “It’s our time.” With optimism, she declared, “We’re gonna kick their butts and go straight to the Super Bowl.”
From enduring four consecutive Super Bowl losses in the 1990s to losing four playoff games to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the 2020s, being a Bills fan has been a test of resilience
The term Bills Mafia was born over a decade ago when fan Del Reid responded to a tweet from NFL insider Adam Schefter. It quickly evolved into a rallying cry for a fanbase known as much for their wild antics—jumping through tables, braving frigid weather shirtless and their generosity. When Ravens tight end Mark Andrews dropped a crucial pass in last week's divisional round, helping the Bills advance in the playoffs, Bills fans donated over $5,000 to Andrews’ charity instead of gloating.
Despite their spirited support, the Bills remain in the grips of a 65-year championship drought. Chiefs fans, however, can relate.
After winning Super Bowl IV in 1970, Kansas City fans waited 50 years to see their team hoist the Lombardi Trophy again. Now they are on the brink of making NFL history by winning three consecutive Super Bowls, a feat that has never been accomplished in the league's 103-year existence.
“My heart's been broken many, many times,” said John Kytasaari, a Chiefs fan of 46 years. “When they won for the first time in 2020 it was such a special thing. If they three-peat its going to be a great thing for the city."
The Chiefs are on the verge of NFL history, aiming to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. They’ve already won three of the last five championships and six of the past seven AFC titles.
But it wasn’t long ago that the Chiefs were the league’s likable underdogs, with fans rallying behind them to dethrone Tom Brady and the Patriots dynasty.
“I remember vividly when we played the Titans in 2019, that long pass to Sammy Watkins we all saw Sammy get open. As soon as he caught that ball the whole stadium erupted and we knew we were going to the Super Bowl, ” Chiefs season ticketholder Jameison Crocket said. “I understand the hate because we were there. I'm 28 and my first playoff success was when the Royals won in 2015, and 2014. I never knew that success. I’m glad that I stuck with it.”
Now, the Chiefs are the NFL’s new juggernaut, transitioning from hunters to the hunted. Their rivalry with the Bills has drawn comparisons to the Manning-Brady duels of the 2000s, with Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen at the forefront.
“Chiefs fans have been so nice to us,” lifelong Bills fan Samantha Elliman said.
Chiefs fan Rick Hainer sympathized.
“Definitely feel bad for them. We've been in that position before. I mean, it took us 50 years to get back to the Super Bowl or win one. So it's definitely, you know, a little bit heartbreaking for them,” a happy Rick Hainer said as he left the stadium. “ But as a Chiefs fan, it's like you're just in the wrong area at the wrong time. Never bet against the Chiefs.”
