Last season, the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen had the best chance to make it past the playoffs and reach the Super Bowl. His biggest nemeses, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, were already out of the postseason. Yet, the Bills still lost to the Denver Broncos, former head coach Sean McDermott was fired, and Allen still “harbors guilt” over the situation.

“I think about that all the time. There are certain plays throughout the game — and that’s going to be every game — where you’re like, ‘I could have done more.’ And I always feel like I can do more,” Allen told the Athletic’s senior NFL writer Michael Silver, while admitting his guilt over McDermott’s dismissal.

During the divisional matchup at Mile High, Allen and his teammates faced the Broncos, with quarterback Bo Nix under center. The Broncos were considered the underdogs going into the matchup, but the tables turned so quickly as the game progressed.

Until the middle of the second quarter, Buffalo battled its way back to tie the game at 10-10, with kicker Matt Prater making a 33-yard field goal. However, Allen’s turnovers eventually changed the entire direction of the game.

Allen committed three turnovers during the second and third quarters, which helped swing the momentum in the Broncos’ favor and gave them a 23-10 lead. The Bills had five turnovers that day, and four of them were committed by Allen.

After Buffalo suffered a heartbreaking 33-30 defeat to the Broncos, Allen couldn’t hide his emotions during the postgame press conference.

The loss was another painful moment for Allen and McDermott, who had shared eight long seasons of playoff disappointment. Had Allen won that game, he would have faced the New England Patriots instead of the Broncos. Who knows if he could have finally broken the playoff curse that had followed him and McDermott for so long?

After McDermott’s firing, the Bills involved Allen in their head-coach selection process, which eventually led to former offensive coordinator Joe Brady taking the position.

“I can honestly say, Joe went out there, and he earned it,” Allen said, per Silver. “The way that he interviewed, how hard he works as a coach, and the success that we’ve had as an offense over the last few years — he earned it.”

That being said, this season is crucial for the Bills’ signal-caller as he enters his ninth season without a Super Bowl win or appearance. There have been no major issues with Allen’s ability to win during the regular season, as he has a record of 88-39. However, it is his 8-7 postseason record that he has struggled to take to the next level.